Power outages soar across Northwest, as latest storm blasts flood-weary Washington with hurricane-force winds

Power outages surge crossed Northwest, arsenic latest atmospheric stream blasts region

Powerful upwind gusts knocked retired powerfulness to much than 500,000 customers crossed Washington and Oregon aboriginal Wednesday, arsenic the latest atmospheric stream intensified implicit the flood-devastated region. The Skagit River forecast indicates it volition emergence backmost into large flood signifier aboriginal Wednesday. While grounds levels are not expected, large flooding would inactive effect successful important impacts successful this already hard-hit area. Thursday, the highest hazard for flash flooding looks to displacement much southward, implicit coastal regions of Oregon and past Northern California by Friday.

SEATTLE – Powerful wind gusts knocked retired powerfulness to much than 500,000 customers crossed Washington and Oregon aboriginal Wednesday, arsenic the latest atmospheric river intensified implicit the flood-devastated Pacific Northwest.

U.S. COAST GUARD HEROES JOIN FOX WEATHER TO DISCUSS DRAMATIC BACK-TO-BACK RESCUE OPERATIONS THAT SAVED FOUR LIVES

This almighty tempest is opening to determination retired of the region, dropping dense rain and renewing the menace of stream flooding after rivers reached grounds heights past week successful Washington.  Meanwhile, yet different atmospheric stream is forecast to get successful this aforesaid country Thursday.

Powerful upwind gusts compounded the existing powerfulness outages caused by the ongoing flooding crossed Washington aboriginal Wednesday. 

WATCH: DRONE VIDEO SHOWS FLOODING ACROSS PACIFIC, WASHINGTON AFTER LEVEE FAILURE

A 71 mph upwind gust was clocked astatine Naval Air Station Whidbey Island successful the Puget Sound, and a 138 mph gale was recorded connected Mount Hood, Oregon.

Early Wednesday, powerfulness outages impacted much than 350,000 customers successful Washington and different 200,000 successful Oregon.

Powerful upwind gusts sound implicit semi-truck connected US 195 successful Colton, Washington connected Wednesday morning.

(@WSDOT_East/X)

Washington's Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said trees were downed connected U.S. Highway 101 southbound of Aberdeen Wednesday greeting arsenic good arsenic connected State Route 161 southbound of Puyallup.

Both precocious winds and fallen trees closed the White Pass crossed the Cascade Mountains connected Wednesday. WSDOT officials posted images connected societal media of a semi-truck that was toppled by upwind gusts connected U.S. 195 extracurricular of Colton, successful the southeastern portion of the authorities adjacent the Idaho border. 

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HIGH WIND WARNINGS

The NWS issued a uncommon Severe Thunderstorm Warning for that country Wednesday morning, highlighting the imaginable for destructive upwind gusts.

High Wind Warnings are successful effect crossed northwest and westbound cardinal Washington done Wednesday morning.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, the Skagit River successful northwestern Washington is expected to emergence backmost into large flood signifier Wednesday. While grounds levels are not expected, large flooding would inactive effect successful important impacts successful this already hard-hit area.

WASHINGTON COUNTIES GRAPPLING WITH RECOVERY AMID ONGOING FLOOD CONCERNS

That comes aft flash flooding was reported crossed parts of the Greater Seattle country successful King County, where 2 levees person failed since Monday.

PACIFIC, WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 16: In an aerial view, a vicinity is engulfed successful floodwater connected December 16, 2025 successful Pacific, Washington. Evacuations person been ordered successful 3 suburbs southbound of Seattle aft caller levee failure. Atmospheric rivers are expected to proceed successful the coming days arsenic bluish Washington continues reeling backmost from historical flooding precocious past week. Mass flooding on the Pacific Northwest caused historical flooding, tens of thousands of evacuations, and dozens of Coast Guard rescues.  

((Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) / Getty Images)

County officials had to rescue radical from their homes successful the metropolis of Pacific aboriginal Tuesday aft a levee nonaccomplishment allowed the White River to spill into neighborhoods.

DIRECTOR OF KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SPEAKS ABOUT FLOODING, LEVEE FAILURES

Another levee failed Monday day on the Green River successful Tukwilla, immoderate 20 miles northbound of the Pacific, and repairs are underway. No injures person been reported associated with either levee break.

Levee breaks amid life-threatening flooding

EVACUATION ZONE: FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray is successful King County, WA wherever a levee broke amid life-threatening flooding. Evacuation orders person been issued passim the area.

Meanwhile, the archetypal decease associated with Washington's historical flooding was reported Tuesday erstwhile Snohomish County Sheriff's Department said a antheral drowned aft helium drove his car onto a flooded road, conscionable southbound of Snohomish.

ONE PERSON KILLED AFTER DROWNING ON FLOODED ROAD AMID HISTORIC INUNDATION, LEVEE FAILURES ACROSS WASHINGTON

According to the state, respective heavily-used roads stay inundated.

Gov. Bob Ferguson said successful a quality league Tuesday that a agelong long of U.S. Highway 2, a large cross-state road done the Cascade Mountains, is expected to stay closed for months betwixt Skykomish and Leavenworth owed to large washouts.

U.S. Highway 2 washed retired successful Tumwater Canyon.

(WSDOT/Facebook.)

"There's a major, large contented connected that highway," Gov. Ferguson said. He went connected to accidental that helium expects galore residents and businesses volition beryllium impacted by the closure.

Nearly a twelve different authorities highways closed owed to flooding, according to officials. WSDOT has repaired astir 60 roads since the flooding started past week.

HISTORIC FLOODING SUBMERGES WASHINGTON FARM

Gov. Ferguson said the authorities is already moving to get exigency enactment for the 14 counties impacted by flooding and is providing $3.5 cardinal for short-term relief.

Gov. Ferguson issued a State of Emergency past Wednesday and President Trump approved Washington's Emergency Declaration, allowing FEMA to assistance the authorities with catastrophe relief.

Ominous clouds loom implicit Seattle connected Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, arsenic latest atmospheric stream begins to intensify.

(Robert Ray/FOX Weather / FOX Weather)

Another atmospheric stream targets the Pacific Northwest Thursday

After a little reprieve Wednesday afternoon, colder aerial is expected to determination into the portion connected Thursday, allowing for dense upland snow and rainfall astatine little elevations.

Flood Watches person erstwhile again been issued crossed Washington and Oregon, including the Seattle area, done Thursday.

A Flood Warning has been extended for the Skagit River successful Mount Vernon and Concrete, Washington.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, accrued snowfall successful the mountains volition assistance bounds further flooding.

WINTER STORM WATCH EXPLAINED: WHAT DOES IT MEAN AND WHEN IS IT ISSUED?

Winter Weather Advisories are present successful effect crossed the confederate Cascades done Wednesday, with implicit a ft of snowfall apt astatine higher elevations and Blizzard Warnings person been issued crossed the higher terrain of the bluish Cascades arsenic good arsenic the Olympic Mountains.

On Thursday, the highest hazard for flooding is expected to displacement southbound implicit coastal regions of Oregon earlier moving into Northern California by Friday.