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Puyallup man survives tree crashing onto car during South Sound windstorm

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SEATTLE, Wash. — We’re seeing downed power lines and extensive damage across the South Sound after Wednesday morning’s windstorm.

But, it’s nothing compared to what one man experienced, saying the storm could’ve cost him his life.

Thankful. That’s how Adam Ferriss feels in the aftermath of the wreckage. Bits of shattered glass still strewn about his passenger seat. A crumpled front hood. A smashed back window. That was the scene, after a tree toppled onto his car in the midst of his morning commute.

Ferriss says he’s fortunate to walk away from the accident unharmed. And, even though he’s aware that intense winds could pose a threat, he never expected anything like this.

“Like I said, I was just floored. And, I’m getting a little bit of that goosebump feeling again from telling you guys, after walking through it today,” says the Puyallup native.

“I’ve kind of decompressed from it,” he continues. “But, I can feel it. It’s still fresh. It’s one of those where I can still feel the tension from it.”

Ferris says he didn’t even realize the back window had also been shattered until he got out to assess the damage. He’s still working it out with his insurance company, but the car is likely totaled. A vehicle he had just paid off back in April.

Elsewhere, Fife saw downed lines and fallen trees. On the Key Peninsula, crews were working all day to restore power. Meanwhile, “Puget Sound Energy” admits they’re still cleaning up the damage in some areas.

“We had the Bomb Cyclone just about a week and a half, two weeks ago. We’ve had rain almost every day this week in most of our service territories,” says PSE Spokesperson Gerald Tracy. “So, it’s really making that soil really saturated, making it easier for the winds to push the trees over.”

Tracy noted that at its peak, outages effected about 60,000 customers. But, aside from hazardous falling trees and road debris, officials say there’s one other thing drivers should be especially cautious of. Particularly, after inclement weather.

“Generally, when you run into a line that’s down, whether it’s hot or not, treat it as it is hot,” warns Kenny Larson, a flagger with K&D Services Inc. “That way you don’t run into trouble.”

Larson also says can be several crews may be present on-site. So, it’s best to give workers their space, in an effort to get everything back up and running like normal.

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