Strong winds and steady rain moved through western Washington Friday, knocking out power.
Strong winds and steady rain moved through western Washington Friday, knocking out power to more than 40,000 residents.
Utilities reported widespread outages as gusty conditions intensified throughout the afternoon.
As of 6:45 p.m., Puget Sound Energy reports that outages have left 41,311 people without power. Most affected customers are in the Olympia area, though some residents near Tacoma are also included.
Seattle City Light reports that as of 7 p.m., 400 customers are experiencing an outage.
Snohomish County Public Utility District has also reported scattered outages.
The strong winds damaged a portion of the historic Davis Meeker Garry Oak Tree in Tumwater.
The tree is significant as a specimen tree of the Garry oak species, believed to be approximately 400 years old, according to the city's website. The tree is a registered historic landmark.
An arborist familiar with the tree said wind gauges at the adjacent Olympia Regional Airport recorded gusts of 54 mph during the time of damage.
No one was injured, no vehicles were damaged, and the oak's main structure remained standing, the City of Tumwater said.
A fallen tree in Tumwater during a storm on Sept. 25, 2026. The tree is believed to be the Davis Meeker Garry Oak Tree, a historic landmark in Tumwater that's approximately 400 years old, according to the city's website. (Courtesy: Sam L via Chime In)Jesse Brighten, a Board-Certified Master Arborist in Island County, said the connection between today's tree branch break and the recommended management is significant.
“The portion of the tree that failed was specified for ‘load reduction pruning’ to mitigate failures such as this,” Brighten said. “Rick Till’s recommendations in the February 2025 Prager arborist report detailed pruning methods intended to increase structural stability at large unions such as the one that broke during today’s unusually high winds,” Brighten noted that the oak was still in leaf, increasing the wind load on its crown.
“Any tree can fail when loading exceeds wood strength,” he said. “Hopefully the recommended pruning can now be done in a timely manner because nearby portions of the tree have suddenly been exposed to new wind loads.”
Brighten also noted that injuries to ancient trees can create wildlife habitat, including cavities like the one used by kestrels in the Davis Meeker oak. “We need to learn how to manage large, imposing trees more holistically and allow for their ecological benefits by changing management expectations and approaches,” he said.
Check the forecast on the KOMO Weather page.
