‘Crews definitely ready’: Puget Sound Energy prepares for strong winds across Western Washington

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) is preparing its crews ahead of the strong winds that are expected to put many families across western Washington at risk.

STRONG WINDS:

KIRO 7′s weather team forecasts that several areas will see the brunt of the wind’s impact, including North Bend, Enumclaw, Maple Valley, and Covington.

Washington State troopers said crews cleared a part of eastbound State Route 18 after a tree toppled over Friday amid the gusty winds.

KIRO 7 News spoke with Gerald Tracy, spokesperson for PSE, on Friday afternoon.

Crews have been preparing for weather systems like this for a while, he said, adding that many crews have recently restored power in the past few days in areas such as Bremerton and Thurston County after both saw severe weather.

“Thursday there were storms out,” he said. “Thankfully no large, gigantic outages that impacted a lot of people that we have seen in the past.”

“Our crews were able to get those back up and running pretty quickly,” he continued.

Most of the power in those areas has been restored, he said.

Now his team is focused is on Friday’s wind.

“Today, we’re looking at some of the areas where stronger winds are going to be an issue over the next 12 to 24 hours so there are crews definitely ready to be going out there as quickly as possible.” He added, “And today, again we’re looking at the wind advisory.”

“And after the rain has already saturated the soil, some of them are heavy with snow and rain, some in the more mountainous areas, the wind could very well knock some of those off.”

While many areas are not seeing rain Friday, Tracy said the soil is still saturated from weeks of rain, which creates a dangerous condition when combined with strong winds,” he continued.

“Even when it’s done raining, the water is still there,” he said. “All this rain and everything from the past several weeks, not just this week in general.”

“We haven’t had a lot of a break in between. It’s been rain, rain, rain,” he continued.

Washington State troopers are currently investigating a deadly crash involving a tree that happened on Eastbound State Route 18, near Issaquah-Hobart Road, Feb.14.

One person died.

A spokesperson said they believe the wet soil and strong winds may have been factors in the crash.

PREPARATION:

Tracy said he encourages people to prepare three emergency kits ahead of any severe weather for their vehicle, home and job.

“You never really know where you’re going to be when that outage hits,” said Tracy. “I have one on me almost all the time because you never knew where you’re going to be.”

If your family loses power, Tracy encourages people to report the issue to Puget Sound Energy.

He also stressed that people should avoid certain items that could put their homes in jeopardy.

“If you do lose power, never use natural gas, range or heating or charcoal for an indoor heating source,” he said. “If you’re using portable heaters, keep them away from furniture, draperies, and other materials, and always use flashlights over candles.”

POSSIBLE SIGNS THAT INDICATE TREES MAY BE HIGHER RISK:

To learn more about the possible signs on a tree that indicate it may pose a risk to families, KIRO 7 News spoke with Alex Lasko, owner of MTS Tree and Landscape.

“Very dangerous. Every season we have several trees that come down on top of houses,” he said.

Lasko’s crews were working on a massive tree, located near an apartment complex in Renton, Friday.

“They are working ahead of the storm taking down hazardous trees,” Lasko said.

Lasko said certain types of trees pose a higher risk than others.

“Poplars or Cottonwoods are at higher risk for large limbs breaking off,” he shared. “Typically, we see Firs uproot if they have laminated root rot in the base of the tree.”

But it’s not just the types of trees that viewers should watch for, but also the tree’s location.

“If it stands alone, that’s definitely high risk,” Lasko said. “As well as dying or dead limbs that show root damage.”

“That’s a sign that the tree is on the decline,” he continued. “Water is the main cause of loose soil.”

Lasko told KIRO 7 News that he encourages people to hire an arborist to assess their property ahead of any possible storm. He said it’s also a best practice to look at your insurance plans to ensure it covers any type of damage caused by a storm.

“It tends to happen when you least expect. So definitely keep an eye open,” he said.

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