Three killed, thousands without power as storm hits Washington state

Well over 100,000 customers were prepping for a third night without power in Washington state Thursday after a storm killed three people and prompted an emergency declaration from the governor.

Falling trees were responsible for at least three deaths during Tuesday’s wind storm.

Grant Strinden, 23, of Monroe died instantly when a tree fell onto his vehicle said Merlin Halverson, a Snohomish County Fire Chief told NBC station KOMO. Their identities were not yet available.

The city of Spokane was working to clear at least 175 fallen trees that blocked streets, slowing the morning commute.

The National Weather Service has forecast rain and wind for much of the week (see video that leads off this article for forecast details). Crews were expected to work around the clock until service was restored.

Avista called the wind storm that walloped the Inland Northwest on Tuesday their “largest crisis in 126 years” in a statement released Wednesday.

An estimated 700 miles of overhead power lines were damaged by the windstorm, it said.

In Portland, Ore., an 80-year-old woman spent the night trapped in bed after a tree fell on her home east of the city during the wind storm, missing her by inches. When firefighters arrived, the woman told them she had a few scratches but wasn’t hurt.

Public schools were closed in Spokane, nearby Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and smaller districts. Gonzaga, Whitworth, Washington State-Spokane and Eastern Washington universities, all located in Spokane County, were closed Wednesday.

The wind knocked down trees and closed a bridge over the Hood Canal, northwest of Seattle, and gusts up to 49 miles per hour were recorded on the SR 520 bridge over Lake Washington, which links Seattle to suburbs such as Redmond, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

At its peak, more than 448,503 customers were without power in the state early Wednesday.

Flights into and out of Spokane global Airport were canceled or delayed Tuesday evening.

Strong winds and an extended downpour caused fewer problems in OR, but roughly 7,000 Portland General Electric customers remain without power in the Portland area.

Around the country Tuesday, a powerful storm dumped heavy snow on parts of Colorado while bringing the threat of tornadoes to millions in central and southern states.