ISSAQUAH, Wash. — It's been two days since a rare bomb cyclone tore through western Washington, knocking down trees and powerlines and leaving hundreds of thousands without power. Puget Sound Energy told KING 5 its crews have been working nonstop since the power went out.
“I would love to have electricity back in the house, that’s the main thing," Verdell McCormack, who lives in Issaquah, said.
Puget Sound Energy said that customers in Whatcom, Skagit, Island and Kitsap Counties can anticipate power will be restored by 6:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22.
For remaining customers in Pierce and Thurston County, they anticipate power will be restored to the majority by midnight on Thursday. As more specific restoration times become available, they will update the outage map.
For the majority of customers in King County, PSE expects to restore power by noon on Saturday, Nov. 23. For many, that day can't come quickly enough. Cheryl McConville said some of her neighbors' cars are trapped and they can't get out because of downed power lines and trees
“You can’t get around it, you just can’t get around it," she said.“We need somebody to come and clear these powerlines out and get these cables off the street.” McCormack's home still has a giant oak tree on top of it. He said his son watched as it came down Tuesday night.
"He said it came down slow and then placed itself on top of the roof," he said. Kim Vernon is one of dozens of seniors who live in a senior apartment complex. Not only are they dealing with the power outage and cleanup, but they are also dealing with a burst pipe that flooded the building.
“We heard a boom and knew that a second tree had hit," she said. “You can see it right there. We had to wait for, like, 25 minutes for the fire department with water streaming out.”
On Thursday, crews came to remove the two trees that fell next to and on top of the complex.
“The woman was in her bedroom and it hit her living room and the whole roof fell on her couch and she and her five cats are all fine," Vernon said. She told KING 5 that residents had spent a lot of time mopping up the water and that they were relieved to see the trees being removed.
“It’s kind of cool, it’s like watching Bob the Builder," she said. Unfortunately, the timing of all of this means food will be spoiled.
“All of the Thanksgiving food has rotted now but everyone is in that predicament," Vernon said.
PSE says they are watching the weather closely and are trying to do as much restoration work as they safely can before the next weather system moves in. The utility said the trees in the area are now weakened from the beating they took and the ground is also saturated and soft, which is another contributing factor to trees coming down.