On the night of Tuesday, January 12, wind speeds in Issaquah and surrounding areas hit 40-60 miles per hour, causing widespread outages.
In some communities, such as Snoqualmie and a few neighborhoods in Bellevue, it took over 24 hours for power to return. At the time of this publication, some communities in North Bend and Issaquah are still waiting for their power to be restored.
Along with the wind came a deluge of rain. Flood warnings have been in effect since Sunday, and have yet to cease. The Snoqualmie river is at its maximum capacity and floods are expected within the coming days. The Snoqualmie Falls (pictured top) are a raging mess, impacting North Bend down to Fall City. With all the fallen trees and branches floating down the river, it’s expected that Fall City will have a buildup of driftwood. Make sure to stay clear of the river and prepare your house if you live along the water.
Some Safety Tips for Power Outages:
- Don’t go within 35 feet of fallen power lines.
- Have emergency water on hand in case of outage.
- Don’t cook inside using propane or charcoal.
- Don’t leave candles unattended, and use flashlights instead where possible.
- Have an AM radio on hand with batteries.
- When driving, treat intersections without working lights as four-way stops.
