WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: 4,440 lose power in Sunday’s second West Seattle outage, and other storm trouble, including water-rescue response

1:40 PM: Another power outage as this blustery weather continues, and this time it’s even bigger: 4,440 customers, according to the Seattle City Light map, including High Point, South Delridge, Westwood, Sunrise Heights, and part of South Park.

1:52 PM: SCL is blaming this one on a tree. … Note that this outage is affecting more signalized intersections – if the light is out, it’s an all-ways stop. … So far readers have texted about signals out including 35th/Webster and 1st/Cloverdale; (added) Delridge from “at least Orchard to Henderson” … 16th at Holden and Austin, too.

2:57 PM: Trees are causing other trouble on West Seattle streets. Just got this photo from the Admiral Way hill:

We’ve also heard emergency-radio discussion of trees down on southbound Myers Way south of Olson, and 45th/Roxbury.

3:03 PM: If you’re in the South Alki area, a neighbor just called to say that a woman is wandering in the rain calling for help and police are trying to catch up with her but haven’t found her yet – if you see her, please call 911 with the location.

4:09 PM: The weather’s calmed but City Light has a lot of work to do – 43,000+ out around its service area, including the 4,400+ here.

4:11 PM: Water-rescue response headed to Lincoln Park for possible kite-surfer in trouble.

4:22 PM: SFD reports the kite-surfer made it safely to shore, so the response has been canceled.

4:55 PM: Theresa notes via Twitter that the 16th/Holden 7-11 is closed because of the outage. Let us know if you’ve found other businesses closed. … Also just in via text: Best of Hands Barrelhouse is closed for the rest of the day (open tomorrow 3-9) …

5:45 PM: Thanks for the updates! Most got their power back after about four hours – about 50 customers in a half-dozen-plus West Seattle spots are shown as still out.

6:24 PM: Just went down Admiral Way. Note the outer southbound lane is blocked in TWO places – not just the one by the SDOT vehicle.

6:42 PM: Spot outages continue. Just noticed a new one on the map – eight customers near 24th/Graham/Delridge, out as of just after 6 pm. And while it’s relatively calm outside now, the forecast says more gusty wind is likely tonight/tomorrow.

56 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: 4,440 lose power in Sunday's second West Seattle outage, and other storm trouble, including water-rescue response"

  • Robin October 24, 2021 (1:43 pm)

    My power is out on 8400 block Delridge

  • WS Resident October 24, 2021 (1:51 pm)

    The power is out in Delridge Crossing apartment complex near SPD precinct and Home Depot.

  • Seaview October 24, 2021 (1:52 pm)

    Our lights flickered 4 times in the Seaview neighborhood and internet went out for about 10 minutes. 

  • AlexC October 24, 2021 (1:58 pm)

    My power went in and out for a few minutes about a half an hour ago. Near Safeway Roxbury. It’s been back on for 20 minutes but Xfinity is still out. Their website confirms outages in our area.

  • Joe October 24, 2021 (2:00 pm)

    Power is out 7701 Delridge 

  • Michael Waldo October 24, 2021 (2:01 pm)

    South Arbor heights. Power went off for a few minutes, then on, then off, now back on.

  • WestseattleOut October 24, 2021 (2:14 pm)

    Can anyone explain why the power is always out in this area? Or is it just another case of – forget West Seattle?

    • WSB October 24, 2021 (2:22 pm)

      In storms, lots of trees, lots of wind. Otherwise, the causes vary widely. Underground cable failure, birds landing on wires …

    • Busrider October 24, 2021 (3:19 pm)

      If you click on scl map lots of areas are out in the city plus sure the same in counties during this windstorm. 

    • Stupid in Seattle October 24, 2021 (4:47 pm)

      westSeattleOut – I was thinking the same thing.  People in the southern West Seattle neighborhoods lose power with storms every year.  I would ask Seattle City Light when the last infrastructure update was done for your area.  Bet it hasn’t been since the ’60s…

      • Canton October 24, 2021 (9:09 pm)

        Not sure about the infrastructure aspect, but with the very dry summer, only the deepest roots of the trees are drinking. The shallower roots shrivel up and weaken. Then when the heavy rain and wind hit, the tree only has the tap roots, and a weaker circumference of roots to hold it down.

    • Jay October 25, 2021 (3:39 pm)

      It’s always been like this. I stopped setting my microwave and oven clocks after the first year living here. It’s actually a lot better now than it used to be, I’ve had the power go out less than once a month the last couple years.

  • trickycoolj October 24, 2021 (2:15 pm)

    2nd outage in High Point today. Just reset all the clocks and Hue Lights for it to all go out again. Argh. 

  • Mike October 24, 2021 (2:24 pm)

    We’re at at 7th SW and SW Cloverdale. Lost power at 1:25, just as I was about to steam the milk for my afternoon mocha. Power still out. 

  • whycause October 24, 2021 (2:41 pm)

    Traffic lights completely out on 16th at Holden and Austin

  • Ughhh October 24, 2021 (2:49 pm)

    Power out by sealth since 125ish.

  • Flivver October 24, 2021 (2:50 pm)

    Cable still working but lights flickering at 61st and Stevens.

  • AdmiralD October 24, 2021 (2:51 pm)

    Lights are flickering and tree branches  are really swaying in north Admiral around 2:45pm. 

  • Christie October 24, 2021 (2:57 pm)

    Power just went out in Highland Park

  • Mike October 24, 2021 (2:57 pm)

    Tree branches down on Admiral Way going down to bridge.  Traffic impeded but reportedly getting thru.

    • WSB October 24, 2021 (3:06 pm)

      Just broadened the story to add multiple tree-down reports including that one. Thank you.

  • Kd October 24, 2021 (3:02 pm)

    Weird how the well heeled areas of West Seattle don’t have problems with power outages. Yet, east of 35th this is routine. Weird. What could it be? I just can’t tell. 

    • WSB October 24, 2021 (4:36 pm)

      Of all the things you CAN blame on economic inequity, this is not one of them. For one, if you look at today’s outages regionwide, for example, the biggest one is centered in Magnolia, and other “well-heeled” North End areas are out. If you want to just isolate West Seattle, you can scroll through our utilities coverage category, which is mostly outages. the west and north get hit often too. Over the past two months, in reverse-chron order, eight outages:
      -Brace Point
      -Harbor Avenue
      -Southeast WS
      -Highland Park
      -North of The Junction
      -Northeast Admiral, Luna Park, North Delridge
      -Alki Avenue
      -Southwest WS

      • BH October 24, 2021 (11:25 pm)

        I’d like to see the cause, frequency and duration of the outages in West Seattle compared to other areas. And same info within West Seattle neighborhoods.  Does SCL provide that information?

    • Thomas A Wood October 24, 2021 (4:55 pm)

      Are you for real?Nature doesn’t discriminate

    • StopCuttingDownTrees October 24, 2021 (4:59 pm)

      There’s plenty of well-heeled folks east of 35th SW these days.

    • DH October 24, 2021 (5:50 pm)

      In addition to what WSB said, It’s mostly trees. Some areas of Seattle that were slow to be ‘developed’ were slow to cut down all of their trees. Look Highland Park got back power before Magnolia! 

    • West Marg October 25, 2021 (1:37 am)

      I live in Riverside, just off of West Marginal. We are certainly not well heeled, but we are geographically situated to rarely feel the storms. I’ve lived in this house for a decade and we’ve lost power maybe three times. In fact, it’s rarely even windy down here. I’ve lived up in highland Park, and white center, and lost power every time the wind picked up. It’s a pretty interesting journey up the hill to see how many branches have fallen. Without WSB, I wouldn’t even know there were storms sometimes. (Humble brag) 

  • G October 24, 2021 (3:16 pm)

    Lights out this morning and back on for a few hours and now here again since about 2:45pm.16th and Myrtle area. 

  • John October 24, 2021 (3:21 pm)

    Loud boom then power went out on 25th ave sw 

  • RonJDio October 24, 2021 (4:30 pm)

    Power been out in Westwood near 31st for about 3 hours. No word on when it will come back on. 

  • Kaitlyn October 24, 2021 (4:49 pm)

    Powers been out at Delrigde and keyon since around 1. Very worried about no power. No news on when it will be back.  Very nervous about no power tomorrow for work or all my food spoiling  

  • Eddie October 24, 2021 (5:08 pm)

    The note about the kite surfer “in trouble” always catches my eye.  I end up wondering if the individual declared themselves to be in trouble or if some well intentioned person on shore determined them to be in trouble.  The resuce call out is always expensive and (in my observation) seldom if ever justified.  Wish there was some way to avoid scrambling a response to what otherwise is a person having a blast in extreme conditions.

    • WSB October 24, 2021 (5:48 pm)

      Someone called it in. Where they were, I don’t know, but the calltaker and Harbor Patrol screened the call by talking to the person further before dispatching, according to everything I heard over the emergency frequencies.

  • newnative October 24, 2021 (5:12 pm)

    I went for a run down Admiral to Harbor, then Alki before the tree went down. I guess I missed all the excitement. I did get hit with a gust that I thought might push me into the Sound. 

  • Kate October 24, 2021 (5:25 pm)

    Power just came back on at my house. Hope that means everyone else’s will soon. (We’re right near Highland Park Elementary, and this was our second outage today.)

  • Robin October 24, 2021 (5:25 pm)

    My power just came back on.

  • David October 24, 2021 (5:26 pm)

    Power is back on in Sunrise Heights.

  • Dcn October 24, 2021 (5:28 pm)

    Power’s back on at 28th and Thistle. 

  • Sunrise Heights October 24, 2021 (5:29 pm)

    Power is back here. Just in time for the game! Go COLTS!

  • John October 24, 2021 (5:31 pm)

    Not related to this afternoon’s storm, but there was what looked like a significant crash on the Admiral Way hill early this morning. Passed it on my way to work around 6:15am. Southbound lanes were completely blocked by several police cars and at least one severely mangled passenger vehicle. Any word on what happened?

  • Robin October 24, 2021 (5:42 pm)

    Glad to have power again.

  • Mj October 24, 2021 (5:57 pm)

    Anyone else having Comcast internet issues?

  • KayK October 24, 2021 (6:13 pm)

    All on in Highland Park here- FYI on the way home using South Park bridge detour route was turned back by City Light response down there. Travel safe.

  • BH October 24, 2021 (6:47 pm)

    Hope everyone is safe and gets power back soon, and thanks WSB for this page. I just threw $70 worth of refrigerated groceries in the garbage. I’m reluctant to buy refrigerated food this time of year, never crossed my mind before living in Highland Park. There is a routine frequency of outages in West Seattle that I did not see when living in other  Seattle neighborhoods. And since it happens like clockwork every year in Fall and Winter, I have to ask why SCL is not better prepared. BTW the outage in Highland Park happened BEFORE the high winds started.

    • Eddie October 24, 2021 (8:27 pm)

      I have to say, throwing out $70 of refrigerated groceries because you lost power for a few hours seems awful extreme. Your refrigerator should have been capable of maintaining that food at a safe temp for quite a while if the doors weren’t constantly opened. Seems like an over reaction to me. Worse came to worse, throw it in the freezer, and keep the door shut. Probably last a day or more.Just sayin’

      • BH October 31, 2021 (3:21 pm)

        Hi, the .gov food safety sites recommend disposing of many types of refrigerated food after 2 to 4 hours. And for the record, the outage lasted longer than 4 hours for some people.  Not the first time this has happened. 

  • Kelsey October 24, 2021 (7:05 pm)

    We are on 24th (Graham) and Delridge — it shows power is back so we went home and nobody on our side of the street has power! But those on other side do… our neighbor said estimate is 1am Tuesday. I think because transformer by us is still having problems. Very disappointing everyone around us has power but we don’t. 

    • WSB October 24, 2021 (7:22 pm)

      Sorry to hear that. The system is wired oddly that way – we’ve had outages with the same thing, one side of the street out, one not. Please note that the restoration time is often way off – could be a lot sooner, could be later. Right now since SCL still has 35,000+ customers out around its service area, might be closer to the latter.

      • Kelsey Huebner October 24, 2021 (8:22 pm)

        Thank you for the response! Hopefully it’s sooner but understandable that they need to fix areas of larger outages. I may need to go into the office for the first time in 18 months tomorrow 😂 Luckily we ate Buddha Ruksa by candlelight and it won’t get too cold tonight. I hope everyone is staying warm and safe. 

  • No power October 24, 2021 (7:28 pm)

    24th and graham has been out 1:15 this afternoon

    • WSB October 24, 2021 (7:33 pm)

      Thanks, maybe SCL was late adding it to the map? The notation says that pocket went out at 6:02 pm, so that’s why we made note of it. Hope you get it back soon.

      • Kelsey October 24, 2021 (8:24 pm)

        Just a quick response — we did indeed go out around 1pm when we heard the transformer explode. I think 6pm was when they began investigating our problem after the larger issues were resolved in the area. 

  • Not warm October 24, 2021 (10:05 pm)

    We are one of the 8 on 24th and Graham that are still out as of 10 pm. I just called for a status update and was told 1am the 26th…..

  • David October 24, 2021 (10:27 pm)

    There are still 8 houses without power 24th ave sw I live next to a transformer that blew out earlier they still have not fixed it yet .It looks like a ghost town where i am very dark .

  • No Power October 25, 2021 (4:35 am)

    Finally got power back a few minutes ago at 24th /graham

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