3 killed, thousands without power in Northwest wind storm

About 185,000 homes and businesses remained without power in Washington state late on Wednesday, after a storm blew down trees and triggered mudslides, killing at least three people, authorities said.

In the Spokane area of eastern Washington, utility Avista said almost 115,000 customers were without power and the city closed schools on Wednesday after winds up to 70 miles per hour (113 kph) tore through the area.

Classes in Spokane, Washington, are canceled Wednesday after severe weather downed trees and left widespread power outages in the area.

A man in his mid-20s was killed when a tree crushed his vehicle as he was driving near Sultan in Snohomish County.

At its peak, more than 448,503 customers were without power in the state early Wednesday. Ferry excursions canceled or were delayed in a number of places and Sound Transit trains were delayed due to water and trees on the trails through the system.

Avista crews say they have been working around the clock since near-hurricane force winds hit the Inland Northwest yesterday leaving approximately 180,000 customers without power at the height of the storm.

Floodwaters had started to recede Wednesday afternoon and King County closed their flood warning centre.

The public comment period ends Friday evening on Avista’s 20-year Integrated Resource Plan, and the Sierra Club Spokane office says it is submitting more than 1,500 comments from Washingtonians.

The National Weather Service said the storm also brought heavy snow to the Methow Valley in north-central Washington.

In OR, thousands were without power in the greater Portland area and a flood watch was issued for the northern OR coast through Wednesday. State officials said heavy rain caused Portland’s sewer system to overflow into the Willamette River and residents were urged to avoid contact with the river through Thursday evening.

Debris from a fallen tree is pictured during a strong storm in Seattle, Washington November 17, 2015. Oregon Department of Transportation officials said they expected the closure to last until about noon Wednesday.

The National Weather Service has forecast rain and wind for much of the week (see video that leads off this article for forecast details). No one was injured.