NORTH SOUND, AUG. 29: Has it been 10 years? On August 29, 2015, the strongest summer windstorm on record swept through Western Washington and the North Sound.
No other windstorm has ever occurred like the one 10 years ago. With leaves on trees acting as sails on a ship, the strong winds more easily toppled or uprooted trees, and tore off tree branches.
Wind gusts of up to 70 mph pounded the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. Everett-Paine Field had wind gusts top 60 mph. With the leaves on trees, branches and trees were more easily blown down onto homes, roads, and more.
Over half a million customers lost power in the midday Saturday storm. It took days for power crews to return service to customers.
Two people lost their lives to fallen trees and large branches. Many roads were blocked by downed trees, including Interstate 405 just south of I-5 in Lynnwood and Bothell.
The windstorm was well forecast in advance. Yet, being an August weekend, many people were not paying attention to the weather. That Saturday morning had sunshine as the storm approached, giving the impression of a nice day ahead. But by midday, the windstorm struck.
Some boaters on waterways, including Puget Sound, were caught unaware with several capsizes. A number of rescues involved both the U.S. Coast Guard and nearby boaters.
This historic windstorm was quite unusual, yet it could happen again. It is always important to be weather aware and, as a result, weather prepared.
