WEATHER: Potent wind storm causes outages, tree damage in Burien and south King County

A potent Pacific storm that slammed into the region late Friday night and early Saturday brought strong winds, thunderstorms and scattered power outages to Burien and south King County.

According to local meteorologist Michael Snyder of Pacific Northwest Weather Watch, the system developed from a jet stream and atmospheric river, and “brought some strong gusts” that struck areas such as Normandy Park and SeaTac. He noted that his own skylight was ripped off his Normandy Park home during the wind event.

Wind gusts of 50 mph or more were recorded along the coasts Washington and Oregon during the storm. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms also rolled through, leaving downed trees and branches across neighborhoods, including in Burien and Federal Way.

Outage-tracking data show King County had the largest number of affected customers in Western Washington, with thousands left without power following the storm. Seattle City Light is estimating that over 1,000 in Burien are still without power (including us); check the utility’s outage map here.

Residents are reminded to treat downed power lines as energized, to use care and courtesy at darkened intersections and to stay clear of debris. The National Weather Service had previously issued a Wind Advisory for Saturday afternoon through early Sunday morning.

Snyder noted that higher terrain will see more impacts – “we still have some wintry driving conditions across the higher terrain” such as the Cascades — and warned that another system is building which could bring additional wind and rain later in the week.

Residents and businesses in our hard-hit area are encouraged to report outages and monitor restoration updates via their utility providers and to secure loose outdoor items such as patio furniture or yard decorations.