Thousands lose power in Whatcom County in wake of ‘bomb cyclone’ that battered the region
Several thousand electrical customers were without power early Wednesday in southern Whatcom County, after a fierce windstorm called a bomb cyclone that hammered Western Washington overnight.
Winds from the south and east gusted to 36 mph as measured by the National Weather Service at Bellingham International Airport. The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood advisory Wednesday morning that was in effect until 1 p.m. because high tides coincided with strong wind.
Winds were much stronger south of Bellingham, where gusts funneled through gaps in the foothills and toppled trees and branches, knocking out power to about 3,000 Puget Sound Energy customers in Sudden Valley. Scattered smaller outages were reported around Whatcom County.
Trees fell onto several homes, a propane tank and a pickup truck in Sudden Valley, according to social media reports.
“We have a tree down in our back yard. Can’t see much but it took out the deck and part of the roof,” Sudden Valley resident Lori Sampson told The Bellingham Herald about 6 a.m. Wednesday.
South Whatcom Fire Authority, which serves Sudden Valley and surrounding areas, received 22 weather-related calls overnight, Chief Mitch Nolze told The Bellingham Herald. No injuries were immediately reported.
Bellingham Public Schools were open Wednesday, with limited bus service to Sudden Valley, the school district said at its website.
Whatcom Transportation Authority buses to Sudden Valley were turning around in the Geneva neighborhood early Wednesday.
Falling trees
Neighbors on Lake Louise Drive in the Gate 2 area of Sudden Valley spent a sleepless night listening to the howling wind and the boom of falling trees that shook the ground — some of them 3 feet across.
“It was scary last night. You kept hearing trees fall everywhere,” Bill Wendt told The Herald.
A hemlock tree more than 100 feet tall fell from several houses away and landed in his neighbor’s yard, just missing Wendt, who was firing up a generator because the power was out.
Up the street, a hemlock that was more than 3 feet across flattened a Ford Ranger pickup as it fell. A tree severed a supply line on another neighbor’s propane tank, which gushed fuel until a neighbor closed its valve, Wendt said.
Road closures
▪ Trees were reported blocking Lake Whatcom Boulevard between Lake Louise Drive and Sudden Valley Gate 1 at 5 a.m.
▪ Lake Whatcom Boulevard is closed from Cain Lake to north of Lake Louise, the Whatcom County Public Works Department said online.
▪ Park Road is closed between Blue Canyon Road and Highway 9 because of downed trees and power lines, the Whatcom County Public Works Department said online.
▪ Mosquito Lake Road was closed because of downed trees and power lines, the Whatcom County Public Works Department said online.
▪ Highway 9 was closed because of fallen trees and downed power lines between Wickersham and Sedro-Woolley, the Washington State Department of Transportation announced overnight.
Wind damage
Firefighters at South Whatcom Fire were dispatched to overnight calls such as electrical hazards, gas leaks and leaking propane tanks, public service and a rescue, according to the emergency services app Pulse Point.
“The direction of this wind is not our usual pattern. We have already responded to a couple of tree down-related incidents, and anticipate the wind to pick up as the night goes on,” fire officials said on their Facebook page.
“We urge residents to prepare for power outages and trees down. Do not go out unless you absolutely have to. During such storms, our crews are not able to assist with tree removal or tarps or other support activities due to safety concerns and call volume,” South Whatcom Fire said.
More than 400,000 PSE customers were without power in the Seattle area and Seattle City Light reported outages affecting 90,000 customers.
“We are hearing reports of extensive numbers of downed lines and are urging our customers to never touch or go within 30 feet of downed power lines because they might be energized. Field crews are also seeing many fallen trees, causing blocked roads and restricting access,” PSE said at its website.
A gust of 101 mph was clocked off Vancouver Island, the National Weather Service in Seattle tweeted.
Weather forecast
Wind gusts eased considerably by 5 a.m., according to weather data from the Bellingham airport.
Rain was forecast for the rest of Wednesday, with a high near 50, the weather service said online.
“Winds will continue to ease this morning as the possibly record-breaking strong surface low moves away from the coast. Cool, unstable air mass settling in over Western Washington with widespread shower activity,” meteorologist Dana Felton said online.
This story was originally published November 20, 2024 at 8:15 AM.
