[1]The aftermath: Barn, tree on Logan Hill. / Courtesy photo by Robin Williams
Updated at 11:28 a.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Onalaska was hit pretty hard with wind last night, keeping the fire department busy removing trees from roadways.
Power in the area was knocked out and remains that way this morning, according to Lewis County Fire District 1.
“Responders watched lawn chairs blow across the roads and flags coming off (their poles),” Fire Chief Mark Conner said this morning.
No injuries have been reported, but Conner said a tree fell on a house on state Route 508 near Carlisle Avenue. He assumed the residence was unoccupied, because nobody requested the fire department for it, he said.
It was a relatively quiet night for firefighters at the North Pearl Street station in Centralia, where the highest wind gust was recorded at 35 mph, according to Riverside Fire Authority.
The National Weather Service recorded gusts as high as 46 mph at the Chehalis-Centralia Airport.
Just before 9 p.m., the Washington State Patrol asked area residents to just stay indoors until the storm passed, because of the number of trees falling onto state routes.
One close call occurred about dinnertime, just east of Onalaska beyond Parnell Road, according to Conner.
A UPS truck was forced off the road when a maple tree fell in front of it, Conner said.
“I think maybe a few branches hit it and it went into the ditch,” he said.
State Route 507 north of Centralia was shut down for hours overnight because of trees and power lines on the ground.
Centralia City Light which serves about 10,000 customers responded to power outages from around 4:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. Roughly 1,200 were affected at different times, but all service has been restored, according to Line Superintendent Rick Evans.
The latest information from Lewis County PUD’s website – at 3:30 a.m. – shows power outages in places such as around Big Hanaford Road, around U.S. Highway 12 to Mayfield Lake and roads in the Chehalis area.
However, PUD spokesperson Corenne Moses said at midmorning, while she didn’t have a “head count” of the number of customers without electricity, they have several power lines down still.
“We hope to get the greater Onalaska-Salkum area up by noon,” Moses said.
Utility crews responded to calls through the night all around the county and are still working, she said.
Moses reminds members of the public whose power is out to unplug their electronics, to prevent possible damage when their electric service is restored.
The National Weather Service cautions that the increased risk of landslides continues through today, because of the rainfall in recent days.
PUD customers who want to report an outage may call 360-748-9261 or 1-800-562-5612
Customers of Centralia City Light may report an outage by calling 330-7512 during business hours or 736-7040 after hours.