Winds knockout power,block roads

Unscathed from the recent record-breaking floods, Whidbey Island was slammed by wind storms this week, causing widespread power outages, school cancellations and a highway closure.

Strong winds hit the island on Wednesday and Thursday, with impacts continuing into Friday morning.

The storm has caused approximately 70 power-related incidents across the island, but no injuries have been reported, according to Gerald Tracy, the spokesperson for Puget Sound Energy. Formed by westerly winds coming through the Strait of Juan De Fuca, the gusts read at 71 mile per hour at the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island on Wednesday, hitting the island like a “brick wall,” said Whidbey resident and Weather Forecaster Jonathan Pulley.

Tracy explained that at about noon on Wednesday, the storm had caused just under 25,000 outages, making early restoration estimates difficult. Into early Thursday morning, about 10,000 customers’ power was restored, leaving roughly 16,000 still without power as of noon Thursday.

Firefighter crews were dispatched to help clear roads and consult with Puget Sound Energy and public works for any trees that were touching power lines.

South Whidbey took the brunt of the damage. On Wednesday morning, both directions of Highway 525 were closed near the Clinton Ferry Terminal because of multiple trees down across the roadway. The state Department of Transportation sent out a notice at 6 a.m. warning people to expect delays. An hour later, northbound and southbound lanes of the highway were open to traffic on an alternating basis.

South Whidbey schools were closed on Wednesday and Thursday because of power outages. They were back open Friday, the day before winter break starts.

Chief Nick Walsh with South Whidbey Fire/EMS said his team responded to 50 calls that were directly wind-related. Alarmingly, a few of these incidents were medical-related, he said.

“People were short on oxygen because their condensers don’t work if they don’t have power. So we also had people at the fire station using our power to get oxygen,” Walsh said.

He also advised residents to exercise caution when using generators as the fire department was dispatched for a carbon monoxide poisoning case Wednesday. Fortunately, the monitor was working, ultimately saving the resident’s life.

Central Whidbey Fire Chief Jerry Helm said his team responded to 19 total calls over the last two days. The calls were mainly for trees down with or without power lines involved. Helm noted that his team worked to clear the roadways as quickly and efficiently as possible during windstorms, but the fire crews’ safety takes precedence. Additionally, the abundance of calls in a short period of time means the firefighters cannot act too quickly as they have to wait until Puget Sound Energy shows up.

“We are kinda running around with our hair on fire,” Helm said.

Oak Harbor Fire Chief Travis Anderson said his team only had eight wind-related incidents that included blown transformers, a couple trees blocking the roads, fire alarms and power lines down.

North Whidbey Fire Battalion Chief Daniel Horton said the crew received around 20 calls, mostly for trees down on roads, trees caught on wires or power lines down. There was one vegetation fire caused by either a transformer or power line, he said.

Island Transit continued to operate throughout the week, with only one service callout, the agency reported. The employees reported to work as scheduled, ensuring essential transportation remained available for community members who depend on it.

“Our staff shows up for this community when it matters most,” said Melinda Adams, Island Transit executive director. “Their dedication and professionalism during these extremely challenging conditions reflect their deep commitment to serving Island County community members.”

Puget Sound Energy sent 13 crews dedicated to assessing and fixing damage to the island. It also enlisted external help from mutual aid crews from Canada and other regions.

“At this point, we found about 70 different locations where lines have fallen to the ground and broken poles. So it’s definitely going to take time to repair,” Tracy told the News-Times on Thursday.

With trees fallen across the island, access challenges prompted Puget Sound Energy to use helicopters to survey damage from the air, Tracy explained. He emphasized safety as restoration continued. He advised residents to stay at least 35 feet away from downed wires and to call 911 if a wire is on the ground without law enforcement present. Tracy also urged caution when people use portable heaters, recommending that heaters be kept away from flammable materials and that flashlights be used instead of candles.

Tracy said the number of damage points significantly slows restoration compared to isolated incidents.

“Our crews are working as hard as they can,” he said, “and they have been working for the past week, so we appreciate our customers’ patience that they have had, but we also understand any frustrations to come along with it. “

By Thursday night, 15,359 homes and businesses were without power in Island County, which represents 27.48% of the 55,892 customers, which was the highest ratio out of any county in Washington, according to findenergy.com.

With power out for much of the island, the Clinton Community Hall offered a space for all who need warmth and internet, Beth Quigley posted on Facebook.

Notify Puget Sound Energy about broken power lines by calling 1-888-225-5773. View the power outage map at www.pse.com/outage/outage-map.

Photos provided by Puget Sound Energy. A tree fell on a power line between Greenbank Farm and the Ledgewood Beach neighborhood.

Photo provided by Puget Sound Energy. Winds from Wednesday morning around midnight, through Thursday morning had a far-reaching effect, particularly severe on the South end of the island.

Photo provided by Puget Sound Energy. The storm has caused approximately 70 incidents across the island, but no injuries have been reported.

Photo provided by Puget Sound Energy. Formed by westerly winds coming through the Strait of Juan De Fuca, the gusts read at 71 mile per hour at the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island on Wednesday .