CENTRALIA, Wash. — A windstorm swept through Centralia causing some major damage Friday.
Residents told KIRO 7 that they felt the heaviest gusts between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.
Near the Centralia Library, the winds were so strong they managed to uproot a large tree that struck the Centralia Library’s garage.
No injuries were reported during the storm.
Wind speeds reached approximately 40 miles per hour during the morning storm, according to the Mayor of Centralia Chris Brewer.
The strong gusts knocked down trees and multiple power lines across the city, leaving branches and debris scattered through George Washington Park and surrounding streets.
Centralia resident Maisie Hurley witnessed the destruction near The Juice Box, a local public house and entertainment venue.
“Over there, in the parking lot, over there was a tree that came down,” Hurley said. “It’s just been crazy.”
Centralia resident Steve Hubbard described the widespread damage throughout the neighborhood.
“A block up, a tree, at the stoplight up there, shattered one of the branches, it fell down in the center of the street,” Hubbard said. “Over at the library, there was a tree uprooted in the library. There were a lot of signs rolling down the street.”
The Juice Box sustained damage when part of its roof blew off and its awning came loose.
Levi Althauser, owner of The Juice Box, recalled how quickly the storm affected the area.
“We live down the street, so you can kind of hear the wind going,” Althauser said. “All of a sudden, I start getting messages and phone calls, ‘Power lines got hit by a tree.’”
Falling tree limbs also crushed a vehicle parked near the Centralia Library.
A library employee named Heidi came out to clean off her colleague’s vehicle and said her coworker had just arrived at work when the tree came down.
“She hears a loud bang, heard my other co-worker come out, and her car is smashed,” Heidi said. “Our cars would have been done.”
Several library employees avoided vehicle damage, because they had not parked in their usual spots where upper tree branches landed.
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