Thousands without power Tuesday, including some schools, after overnight storm blows through
Thousands were left without power on Tuesday, including some schools, after strong winds, heavy rain and some thunder and lightning blew through the area overnight, according to Puget Sound Energy and the National Weather Service.
On Tuesday morning, about 100,000 PSE customers were without power in the utility’s service area, which includes Thurston County. Most of those outages were in the Seattle/Tacoma area, although thousands here also were in the dark, the PSE data show.
More than 16,000 customers in Thurston County lost power at the start of the storm, but that number had been cut to about 4,000 as of 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, a spokesperson for PSE said.
Outages were scattered throughout the county. About 200 PSE customers didn’t have power in the area of Yelm Highway and Meridian Road, while another 400 customers were without power on Pacific Avenue near Carpenter Road in Lacey, according to an outage map.
About 500 PSE customers were without power near the south shore of Black Lake as well, the data show.
Some schools did not have power and others were closed.
Power was initially out at Timberline High School, Lakes Elementary and Aspire Performing Arts Academy School, according to North Thurston Public Schools, but soon was restored.
Pope John Paul II High School, a private school in Lacey, closed Tuesday because of a power outage.
But by Tuesday afternoon, North Thurston Public Schools announced that several schools lost power, affecting internet and phone service, but dismissal times were unchanged. The affected schools: Aspire Performing Arts Academy, Chambers Prairie Elementary, Lacey Elementary, Lakes Elementary, Komachin Middle School and Timberline High School.
Also, about 6,000 Tumwater residents lost power Tuesday afternoon, according to Puget Sound Energy.
“A transmission line opened (meaning power was disrupted) and that line feeds two substations,” said PSE spokeswoman Melanie Coon. “Our crews are checking out the cause now.”
And the Briggs YMCA on Yelm Highway announced about 3 p.m. Tuesday that it was closed “until further notice” due to a power outage, but would reopen as soon as possible.
A high wind warning, which was in effect until 10 a.m. Tuesday, began about noon Monday. However, strong wind gusts didn’t arrive until in Thurston County until Monday evening, then continued through the night, National Weather Service data show.
Most wind gusts were 30 miles per hour, but a wind gust of 47 mph was recorded at Olympia Regional Airport just before midnight and a gust of 52 mph was recorded before 1 a.m., the airport data show. The winds were from the south all night.
Much calmer weather is on the way. A high of 58 degrees and partly sunny conditions is forecast for Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. A chance of rain returns Wednesday night and Thursday, followed by drier conditions by Friday.
But the heavy rains early this week have prompted a flood watch, particularly for the Chehalis River, until 4 p.m. Thursday.
This story was originally published February 25, 2025 at 8:41 AM.
