Second woman killed by tree in Northwest wind storm

The cleanup has begun in Washington state after a powerful storm killed at least three people and cut power to more than 300,000 residents.

A 54-year-old identified as Lea Anne Scott was killed when a tree fell in Spokane. A man in his mid-20s died when a tree crushed his vehicle as he was driving in Snohomish County, authorities said. His identity was not yet available.

Governor Jay Inslee’s emergency proclamation covers all Washington counties, allowing state officials to increase aid to clean up storm damage.

“Given the typical ratio of power customers to actual people, this means at least 1 million people were affected by power outages in Washington alone”, said meteorologist Nick Wiltgen. Crews were expected to work around the clock until all service was restored.

“This is the largest crisis Avista has experienced in the company’s 126-year history”, Avista said in a news release.

The storm swept through the Seattle-area, taking down power lines, and led to flood warnings across the Puget Sound, the National Weather Service said.

A woman in her 50s was hit and killed by a tree in Spokane Tuesday afternoon. The woman suffered scratches, but was not hurt. The city closed schools after winds up to 70 miles per hour (113kph) tore through the area.

Tuesday evening flights into and outside of Spokane global Airport were canceled or delayed.

The National Weather Service said the unusually ferocious winds were caused by the jet stream interacting with the mountains.

More than 360,000 customers were left without power in the Puget Sound region late on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Oregon Department of Transportation officials said they anticipated the close to continue until about midday Wednesday.

The Snohomish County Public Utility District tweeted that about 130,000 of its customers lacked power.

The strong winds and extended downpour caused fewer problems in OR, but roughly 2,000 Portland General Electric customers remained without power in the Portland area Wednesday afternoon.

In OR, fallen trees, mudslides and floods shut down roads across the western part of the state on Tuesday night, including a 50-mile (80-km) stretch of Interstate 84 that authorities declared impassible into midday Wednesday.