Burien power outage: Windstorm knocks out power across Western Washington

A strong fall windstorm swept through Western Washington on Saturday night, bringing gusty winds, heavy rain and a wave of power outages across the region. Reports from local outlets say about 83,000 outages had been recorded in Western Washington, and the Burien area was among the places affected as high winds blew down trees and blocked roads.

Strong winds and falling trees

The storm's centre stayed well offshore, moving toward upper coastal British Columbia, but its frontal system moved onshore overnight. Forecasts called for winds along the outer coast to peak near 60 mph, with gusts of 45 to 50 mph across much of the rest of Western Washington.

KING5.com reported that strong winds blew down trees, blocked roads and closed some routes. Forecasters warned that weaker trees could topple and that tree limbs could bring down power lines, creating the risk of outages overnight.

Authorities urged residents to prepare for the possibility of losing power. Forecasters also advised drivers to avoid travel during the strongest gusts, especially those in high-profile vehicles such as big rigs and RVs, noting that many windstorm deaths involve falling trees striking motorists.

Rain, coastal hazards and ferry service

The storm was expected to bring one to two inches of rain along the coast and in the mountains, and between half an inch and one and a half inches elsewhere in Western Washington. Officials encouraged residents to clear storm drains, as leaves blown loose by the wind could cause water to pond on roads and lead to local flooding.

A storm warning was in effect for the coast, and seas of 20 to 26 feet were forecast along outer coast beaches, with dangerous sneaker waves possible. Gale warnings covered other marine waters. Washington State Ferries said it was monitoring conditions and might cancel late-night crossings, including the Port Townsend route.

Snow levels were high because of the warm nature of the system, at around 7,000 feet overnight, so mountain pass highways were expected to have wet pavement.

What happens next

The storm's frontal system was forecast to weaken and move further inland on Sunday, with winds easing early in the day and rain turning to scattered showers with sunbreaks. Overnight lows were expected only in the lower 50s, and Sunday highs were forecast from the mid-50s into the lower 60s, which is well above average for mid-November.

Forecasters said more weather systems are lined up over the North Pacific for next week, bringing rain and breezy but less windy conditions, with mild temperatures continuing. Outage restoration timelines and the full extent of damage in Burien had not been detailed in the reports available at the time of writing, and utility updates should be monitored for the latest information.

What we know so far: a fast-moving windstorm produced gusts, widespread outages and road hazards across Western Washington, with the strongest winds expected overnight and easing on Sunday.