Power companies, contractors expecting more outages and downed trees from winds

KING COUNTY, Wash. — With more strong winds on the way to Puget Sound, power companies like Seattle City Light are expecting more power outages — even downed power lines.

“But the wind itself can actually cause what is almost like a galloping motion in the power lines or they can sway and connect, and that will also cause power outages,” Jenn Strang with Seattle City Light said.

Strang says December has definitely presented its challenges to power companies across Western Washington.

“We’ve had a very busy week. Snow, ice, and now quite a bit of wind and rain,” Strang said.

On Monday, strong winds swept through places like West Seattle. The strong winds caused some outages, as well as trees smashing into a car or two. Jonathan Barnett says a tree landed on top of his car in the morning and the strong winds are to blame.

“But we haven’t had anything out here like this in a long time. There have been other trees in the city that have gone down, but this kind of wind, I’m really surprised,” Barnett said.

The winds could also be felt in Snohomish.

Ring camera video caught a tree falling between two homes, causing slight damage to one and missing the other. Dex Griffith with On Track Excavation removed the tree from the homeowner’s property. He tells KIRO 7 that the tree that fell was between 80 and 100 feet long.

“I’ve worked for him several years in the past and they actually asked about that tree because they were worried about it hitting the house. So, I think it’s pretty lucky,” Griffith said.

Griffith expects his business, as well as others, to be busy clearing out damaged trees and debris because of the winds.

He says it might be worth it for homeowners to know what trees on or around their property are problematic.

“I think it’s important to prepare if you have dangerous trees near your house, but I mean, you can’t say whether or not they are going to come down for sure or not,” Griffith said.

People like Barnett say that while he enjoys having trees on his property, this wind event is making him extra cautious about his trees going forward.

“Even if you think it’s safe, your investment is best protected by looking at where that tree is going to fall and making sure it’s clear of any structures,” Barnett said.

Strang with Seattle City Light says it would be wise for people to charge their devices during the night. That way, in case the power does go out, they will be able to still use their devices.

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