High winds knocked trees down and caused power outages Tuesday in Black Diamond and South King County.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service forecast windy conditions were expected to continue through early Friday morning.
The service recorded east winds from 25 to 45 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.
On Tuesday, Puget Sound Energy reported power outages in the Covington and Maple Valley area, affecting thousands of people. As of 11:30 a.m. today, the PSE website said crews had restored power to more than 162,000 Puget Sound Energy customers. Approximately 48,000 PSE customers remain without power.
In Black Diamond, officials said six trees were down in the area on Tuesday as of 1 p.m. One tree fell over a power lines on 224th Avenue Southeast in Black Diamond and more hot lines were down on the road on Southeast 296th Street.
The PSE website showed areas of between 501-2,500 customers affected in the Kent area and Auburn was at more than 2,500 affected customers.
Capt. Kyle Ohashi, Kent Fire Department public information officer, said crews received “a lot” of calls in the area about scattered, momentary power outages Tuesday morning but said there had been no significant damage resulting from the wind in Kent.
Puget Sound Energy cautioned residents about downed power lines, saying on its website to “assume it’s energized and stay clear.”
Due to the unusually cold temperatures, PSE is encouraging customers without power to be prepared for their safety and comfort.
The company recommended residents using portable heaters should keep them away from furniture, draperies and other flammable materials.
Check the PSE website for updates.
