Winds cause hundreds of power outages in Federal Way

A storm that promised wind gusts of up to 60 mph and large amounts of mountain snow has hit the Puget Sound region.

In Federal Way, Green Gables and Sunnycrest elementary schools were without power Monday. Parents were notified through the district's automated call system, which includes email, text messages, Facebook posts, Twitter alerts and the district's website. All other schools are open and on schedule, the district reports.

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) indicated on its website that approximately 900 properties were without power in the Federal Way area as of 11:28 a.m. Monday. PSE reports that plenty of employees are on standby to deal with more potential outages.

"At this time, most of the outages are in the South King County area," according to the PSE website. "At 6 a.m. (Monday), 52 PSE crews are responding to 120 outage locations in Western Washington. There currently are 17,000 customers without power, primarily in South King County with scattered outages in North King, Kitsap and Thurston counties."

PSE requests that citizens keep them up to date on outages by calling (888) 225-5773. That number can also be used if residents believe there's a natural gas leak or other similar issues. The utility company warns that no one should approach any kind of downed power line.

The storm has already caused confusion. A text alert sent out by the National Weather Service (NWS) on Sunday evening led many Puget Sound residents to believe a severe blizzard was heading toward the region. The NWS did not indicate what caused the error, but did admit the text message was meant for the Cascades, which experienced heavy snowfall in the past few days.

RESOURCES

• Federal Way Mirror's Facebook page: Readers are reporting which neighborhoods still lack power, including parts of Twin Lakes and Stonebrook.

• Federal Way Public Schools: Updates from the district can always be found at fwps.org.

• Puget Sound Energy: Check out pse.com for updates.

 

Contact Federal Way Mirror reporter Greg Allmain at gallmain@fedwaymirror.com or 253-925-5565 ext. 5054.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.