Atmospheric river knocked out power for thousands in Washington on Monday

Thousands customers across western Washington were without power Monday evening as the atmospheric river strengthened on its approach into the state.

By Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. about 600 customers remained in the dark.

At its peak, over 11,000 customers were without power in the state Monday night.

By 10 p.m., nearly 7,000 Puget Sound Energy customers were in the dark.

Collectively, nearly 10,600 customers were without power across the state by 11 p.m.

King, Kittitas, Snohomish, and Clallam Counties had the most outages as of 10 p.m.

The best way to be prepared for a power outage is to make sure you have all you need before a weather system hits.

Plan for batteries and other alternative power sources to meet your needs when the power goes out, such as a portable charger or power bank. Have at least one power bank pre-charged and ready to go so you have something on hand.
Have flashlights for every household member.
Have enough nonperishable food and water. Usually, during storms like these, power is restored within at least a day, but it’s good to be prepared.
Keep freezers and refrigerators closed. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours, Ready.gov advises.
Generators and fuel should always be used outdoors and at least 20 feet away from windows, doors and attached garages. Always connect the generator to appliances with heavy-duty extension cords. Let the generator cool before refueling. Fuel spilled on hot engine parts can ignite.

Learn more about navigating power outages and the aftermath here.