Wild weather in Washington state leaves 2 dead
SULTAN, Wash. -- At least two people have died and tens of thousands were without power in Western Washington on Tuesday, while the Inland Northwest saw severe weather that delayed flights, toppled trees and ripped a roof from a building.
A man in his mid-20s was killed when a tree crushed his car as he was driving near Sultan in Snohomish County. The tree landed on the car's roof directly over the driver's seat, killing him instantly, said Fire Chief Merlin Halverson. The man's identity was not immediately released.
Spokane police said a woman was also killed by a fallen tree. The police department said firefighters received a report around 3:30 p.m. that a tree had knocked down power lines on the 1500 block of West 14th Avenue.
The caller then reported a woman was found unresponsive underneath the tree. Fire crews were unable to resuscitate the woman. Police said she was in her 50s but did not release her identity.
Puget Sound Energy reported more than 215,000 customers without power in its Western Washington region Tuesday afternoon as trees toppled onto roadways and power lines.
An electrical power failure at a Tacoma sewer treatment plant resulted in waste water sewage discharging for a short time into the lower Puyallup River. Two mudslides were blocking Highway 2 between Skykomish and Deception Falls, the state Department of Transportation said.
The Washington State Patrol closed Interstate 90 between the towns of George and Vantage in central Washington after winds whipped up a dust storm that decreased visibility.
The National Weather Service issued a windstorm warning that began noon Tuesday and ran until midnight for most of Eastern Washington and northern Idaho.
The Weather Service said a Pacific storm system was arriving Tuesday afternoon, with sustained winds of 45 mph with gusts up to 70 mph in certain areas including Spokane.
In Spokane County, energy company Avista Corp. reported over 70,000 customers had lost power Tuesday afternoon.
CBS affiliate KREM reported the City of Spokane sent non-essential employees home around 1:00 p.m. Tuesday. Whitworth University also sent students and staff home due to a fallen tree and high winds.
The university sent out an alert telling students on campus to shelter in place in their residence until further notice. Evening classes and activities have been cancelled.
Eastern Washington University shut down its campuses in Cheney and Spokane at 3:00 p.m. to allow for a safe commute for students, faculty and staff. Community Colleges of Spokane also suspended classes starting at 3:00 p.m. Washington State University closed its campus in Spokane at 3:00 p.m. Gonzaga University closed at 2:30 p.m. They expected to reopen Wednesday as scheduled.
The National Weather Service said the storm also brought heavy snow to the Methow Valley in north-central Washington.