Winds cause power outages in the Puget Sound area

High winds and downed tree limbs caused a number of scattered power outages overnight in the Puget Sound area and elsewhere in Western Washington.

Puget Sound Energy spokesman Andy Wappler said about 10,000 PSE customers in the Sumner, Puyallup and Wilkeson areas in Pierce County lost power for just over two hours Monday night when a transmission line was hit by a tree, affecting three substations. Power was restored to most customers just after 11 p.m., he said.

About 1,100 PSE customers in the Yelm area in Thurston County also were without power for about three hours when tree limbs fell into power lines.

Earlier Monday, about 9,000 PSE customers were without power in the Bellingham area and elsewhere in Whatcom, Skagit and Island counties because of wind-related problems. Power was restored to most by midafternoon.

By late Monday, as winds picked up again, PSE reported scattered outages to about 1,500 customers in the Bellingham area and elsewhere in Whatcom County, where winds gusted at more than 50 mph.

Snohomish County PUD spokesman Neil Neroutsos said scattered outages knocked out power to customers in the Edmonds area and elsewhere in the county, but most were expected to be restored by this morning.

One home was damaged by a mud slide in Gig Harbor.

An overnight flood warning for the South Fork of the Stillaguamish River near Granite Falls and at Arlington in Snohomish County was issued Monday evening by the National Weather Service.

No King County rivers were listed among the flood warnings.

The weather service said heavy mountain rain, largely concentrated in the South Fork of the Stillaguamish drainage, was forecast to bring the South Fork to flood stage overnight, along with the main stem of the Stillaguamish River near Arlington.

Minor flooding was reported.

The flood warning was expected to be in effect through this morning.

A flood warning also was issued for the Chehalis River near Doty in Lewis County through this afternoon. Warnings also were issued for the Skokomish River near Potlatch in Mason County; the Bogachiel River near La Push, the Dungeness River near Sequim and the Elwha River in Clallam County; and the Satsop River near Satsop in Grays Harbor County.