More Than 56,000 Without Power as Strong Winds Hit Western Washington

More than 56,000 customers were without electricity across western Washington on Friday afternoon as powerful winds brought down trees and power lines.

Puget Sound Energy reported 51,358 outages as of 1:30 p.m., while thousands of additional outages affected Tacoma, Seattle and Snohomish County.

I-5 Blocked in Olympia

Downed trees and power lines blocked Interstate 5 in both directions through Olympia for more than an hour. The highway later reopened, but significant traffic delays continued.

Thurston, Pierce, King and Lewis counties were among the areas most heavily affected, with widespread outages reported around Olympia, Tumwater, Centralia, Lacey and Yelm.

Wind Advisory Remains in Effect

The National Weather Service warned of gusts reaching 45 mph across parts of the region. Stronger gusts of up to 50 mph were possible along the coast.

Utility companies had not provided estimated restoration times.