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UPDATE: Fallen tree takes power out for 7,300+ customers in West Seattle and beyond; most restored within two hours

June 16, 2025 4:59 pm
|      66 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

(Added: Screenshot from City Light outage map)

4:59 PM: Thanks for the tips on the power outage. 911 log has a “wires down” call in 7000 block 18th SW. 6,300+ homes and businesses are out, per City Light, as far south as White Center. Updates to come.

5:08 PM UPDATE: A downed tree is to blame in the location above, per emergency radio.

5:22 PM UPDATE: Actually more than 7,300 customers out – the SCL outage map shows this as two outages with that total.

5:39 PM UPDATE: For those asking about restoration estimates, while the City Light map offers them, as we often caution people, don’t put much faith in those, as they’re not based on an actual assessment of the outage, so it could be much later – or much sooner (and they tend to change). Just remember two things: Don’t open your fridge/freezer (so the cool air lasts longer), and intersections with dark signals are all-way stops!

5:47 PM UPDATE: There’s the tree that’s to blame for this. Thanks to Michael for sending the photo!

6:35 PM: SCL’s map shows most customers now restored – down to fewer than 500 out, mostly in Highland Park/Riverview.

9:53 PM: As noted in comments, 438 are still out – for the record, here’s that map:

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66 Replies to "UPDATE: Fallen tree takes power out for 7,300+ customers in West Seattle and beyond; most restored within two hours"

  • CDMW June 16, 2025 (5:00 pm)

    White Center too.

  • Lily June 16, 2025 (5:01 pm)

    Heard multiple transformers blow in rapid succession near Riverview playfield, 12th Ave and Orchard neighborhood area.

  • Falcon June 16, 2025 (5:05 pm)

    I was LITERALLY about to cook dinner. If it’s gonna happen, I’m glad it didn’t happen 5 minutes later or I’d have had partially cooked food. I guess I’m going out to eat now.

  • MrsL June 16, 2025 (5:06 pm)

    The Westwood QFC lost power, but Target and Ulta still have power. 

    • Erika June 16, 2025 (8:28 pm)

      I was told by a Target employee a few years ago, when I was there when the power went out, that parts of Westwood have a backup generator. 

  • Judith June 16, 2025 (5:07 pm)

    I’m out on 9th and Trenton

  • Powerless June 16, 2025 (5:07 pm)

    I guess I know why my neighbor’s generator kicked on. I wonder why the wires are down. As a reminder, take the estimated restoration time with a hunk of salt. Hopefully it gets restored way before 11pm.

  • namercury June 16, 2025 (5:10 pm)

    My electricity is stil on 48th north of Admiral; however, my TV lost signal so I presume the outage affected some of Comcasts gear.  

  • Terremoto June 16, 2025 (5:11 pm)

    Thank you, WS Blog!  Was afraid I’d somehow ruined my house electrical system.  Whew.

    • Maggie June 16, 2025 (5:17 pm)

      I had the same thought! No wind or anything so it felt kind of eerie! 

      • 1994 June 16, 2025 (10:10 pm)

        This was the 2nd tree falling & knocking out power in less than 24 hours!  Yesterday was the tree over on  SW 101st and Marine View Drive that fell, caused an explosion, and many lost their power. Very eerie as you write with total lack of wind. Guess when they are ready to fall they will fall.

    • Ngan June 16, 2025 (5:27 pm)

      Thanks WSB! Very much appreciate this update! I too was worried if I did something wrong, similar to Terremoto and Maggie 

  • Adaam June 16, 2025 (5:17 pm)

    Outage here off Henderson at 11th SW.

  • MohammadK June 16, 2025 (5:17 pm)

    https://www.seattle.gov/city-light/outages shows the areas and what is going on. For now they are listing it all as investigatin

  • mem June 16, 2025 (5:21 pm)

    Out on the 8800 block of Trenton as well.

  • Monica Rodríguez June 16, 2025 (5:21 pm)

    Does anyone know any restoring updates??

  • Amy June 16, 2025 (5:25 pm)

    Anyone know if Boren STEM K-8 is out? 8th grade graduation is in an hour at the school.

    • WSB June 16, 2025 (5:29 pm)

      It’s not in the mapped zone.

    • George June 16, 2025 (5:36 pm)

      We’re kitty corner from the school and we have no power. 

  • Guy Harris June 16, 2025 (5:28 pm)

    They are saying 11 right now

  • April June 16, 2025 (5:34 pm)

    No power in my area of unincorporated king county 104th and  24th Ave SW

  • Mky June 16, 2025 (5:35 pm)

    We’re at 7th SW and SW Cloverdale. We have power, but as another reported, Xfinity Cable is out. Add Xfinity Internet also to the outage. 

  • Lisa June 16, 2025 (5:44 pm)

    Lights still on @ 35th n Roxbury, but blinked about 5pm…  What were you doing when the lights went out.Sitting in the corner eating …sauerkraut???Didn’t tree fall on power lines on Saturday in same area???Maybe drought affecting trees?Somethings up!!!  Maybe get some trees cut down if needed, especially the ones blocking my view of the ocean…just kidding I love trees…if they stay in place that is….

  • TH June 16, 2025 (5:46 pm)

    How did a tree go down on this beautiful non windy blue sky day?

  • James Roberts June 16, 2025 (5:48 pm)

    A poplar tree laying across the power lines that pulled down power lines by 18th & myrtle caused the poweroutage here

    • WSB June 16, 2025 (5:54 pm)

      A reader sent a pic of the tree in question and I’ve added it above. Thank you!

  • Daniel June 16, 2025 (5:50 pm)

    Had an electrician here to hook up my new AC unit. We were both confused for a second. 4th Ave SW. Power is always going out in this neighborhood, but this time it looks like a tree got everyone. 

  • Canton June 16, 2025 (5:54 pm)

    Looks like possible ivy choked the tree out.

    • datamuse June 16, 2025 (6:58 pm)

      That’s my thought, too. It’s pretty common, and one of several reasons to remove ivy growing up trees–or preventing it from doing so in the first place.

  • CJ June 16, 2025 (5:56 pm)

    Doesn’t this seem like an awful lot of households to lose power based on one single tree? Did it hit something particularly significant?

    • WSB June 16, 2025 (6:54 pm)

      Having reported on power outages here for almost 20 years, I can tell you only that the power grid is connected in mysterious ways. You might be out while your neighbor is not. One tree can fall and take out one customer … another can take out 10,000. If you lined up all the outage-map screen grabs we’ve shown over the years, there are some patterns that repeat.

      • Helen June 16, 2025 (8:09 pm)

        This, 100%!

  • Jethro Marx June 16, 2025 (6:13 pm)

    I dare say the majority of us would like to see the city give up on fixing people and focus on the relatively easier job of improving conditions for salmon while also eradicating ivy like this perpetrator and also nonnative blackberries. Just kidding, it’s actually probably just me and a few thousand other weirdos!

  • Sbre June 16, 2025 (6:20 pm)

    Eat the cream first!!!

  • Lisa June 16, 2025 (6:20 pm)

    Lights still on @ 35th n Roxbury, but blinked about 5pm…  What were you doing when the lights went out.Sitting in the corner eating …sauerkraut???Didn’t tree fall on power lines on Saturday in same area???Maybe drought affecting trees?Somethings up!!!  Maybe get some trees cut down if needed, especially the ones blocking my view of the ocean…just kidding I love trees…if they stay in place that is….

  • Mouse June 16, 2025 (6:21 pm)

    Just got my power back on 30 seconds ago. I’m just north of the fallen tree in the 6000 block of 18th. They worked fast!

    • WSB June 16, 2025 (6:33 pm)

      The map just updated – about 1,000 got power back.

      • WSB June 16, 2025 (6:35 pm)

        And now many more!

  • Kgb June 16, 2025 (6:40 pm)

    Thanks WSB, for the detailed info. The tree looks like it is strangled by ivy or some other vine, which can kill a tree. That’s probably why it fell without a windstorm 

    • Choker June 16, 2025 (7:04 pm)

      Was the tree in the city’s ROW or on private property?

  • Alanna June 16, 2025 (6:47 pm)

    Thank you to WSB for keeping us updated, and thanks to Seattle City Light for fixing the issue so quickly! 🫶

  • Kt June 16, 2025 (6:55 pm)

    Kudos to city light and the fire dept for jumping on that!

  • Tim June 16, 2025 (7:01 pm)

    Where exactly did the tree fall on the power line? I mean what cross streets? Might be a good idea to cut down the other trees in the same spot that are covered with invasive vines!

    • Diane June 16, 2025 (7:25 pm)

      The tree was on the southwest side of Myrtle at 18th. It fell across Myrtle and got trapped in the fork of another tree while also hitting some powerlines.

    • bolo June 16, 2025 (8:57 pm)

      Why not cut the vines, giving the tree a chance to thrive again?

  • Tracey June 16, 2025 (7:49 pm)

    Most homeowners don’t maintain their trees properly due to cost.  Add the impossible permit situation for removal and you end up with a lot of unhealthy or unsustainable trees just waiting to cause property damage.  I have owned 2 homes in WS and both have had significant property damage from neighbor’s trees that weren’t maintained.  We pay SPU OT  and high insurance premiums rather than address the issue.

  • Lucy June 16, 2025 (8:57 pm)

    When do we bite the bullet and start putting power lines underground when they get flattened by trees?   One block at a time.  

  • Art K. June 16, 2025 (9:22 pm)

    Well, gosh, now we’re up to 3AM on the 17th

  • Jen June 16, 2025 (9:30 pm)

    My neighborhood’s power lines have been underground the entire time I’ve lived in my current West Seattle home, which is over 19 years, and unless ALL of the power lines that they are connected to are underground, it doesn’t make a bit of difference. Right now we are still part of the final <400 customers who are without power out of the original 6300+. And it is the same thing every time – we are always the last to be restored.

  • DK June 16, 2025 (9:40 pm)

    At the risk of being a complainer…Riverview/a little of Highland Park still without power as of 9:38 pm. Estimated to be restored at 3 am. 647 customers. Hers the complainy part—whenever we lose power in a big chunk like this, it’s always this little enclave that is last to get power back-so odd. 

    • Brad June 16, 2025 (9:56 pm)

      Agree, always last to have power restored.  Still out at 9:55pm

  • 12th ave June 16, 2025 (9:43 pm)

    Also in the still-without group. Just drove by, lots of trucks, looks like crew is getting ready to start working on tree removal. Picked up some ice and filled a cooler with fridge stuff. Hopefully back soon!

  • BC June 16, 2025 (9:50 pm)

    I agree with DK. This area is always last to have power restored after an outage. Still out at 9:47pm.

    • DK June 16, 2025 (10:01 pm)

      Thanks BC…it’s curious…what is it about this part of the grid that makes it harder to restore? There has to be a reason, it’s not chance—we’ve lived here almost 20’years and it’s the same every time. We’ve lived in other parts of WS and it wasn’t like this. 

      • Lisa June 16, 2025 (11:18 pm)

        They are having to replace a damaged power pole…and that’s what is causing a long delay.

    • Anna banana June 16, 2025 (10:37 pm)

      I agree. This is the third time in probably 6 months we have lost power long enough that the food in the fridge should probably be tossed. I get we are 5 blocks from where it happened but it seems like it happens way more than it used to. We have lived here 22 years and it seems like it just keeps getting worse. 

  • Erin June 16, 2025 (10:24 pm)

    Still out at 10:30pm here near Riverview :( we’ve only lived here a few years but I am noticing a trend of this little postage stamp of an area being the last to get restored. Has happened nearly every time we’ve lost power. Would love a map of the grid if anyone comes across one. 

    • DK June 16, 2025 (10:48 pm)

      Now I’m probably over-commenting, but since I’ve been thinking about this tonight, I’ll say this…if you look at the map of WS, Riverview Park is surrounded by a concentration of more green space than any other neighborhood…maybe it’s just a matter of more trees causing outages over time and the epicenter of most of the downed lines skews in this area…and potentially more hazard trees like the one that caused the outage today. It was encased in English Ivy that eventually kills the tree. Just a theory…that or there’s something different about our part of the grid. I can look out the window and see the crew with their spotlights working on the culprit tree and I appreciate them—it doesn’t look fun to be in a cherry-picker in the dark.

  • Lisa m June 16, 2025 (10:51 pm)

    We live at the intersection in question and workers have to replace a power pole.that was damaged in the explosion. They are working hard but told.us that 3am was their best guesstimate. 

  • Brandon June 16, 2025 (10:53 pm)

    10:35pm status

  • Lisa m June 16, 2025 (11:16 pm)

    We live at 18th and Myrtle (NE corner, opposite from the fallen tree. City Light  workers told us that they have to replace a power pole that was damaged by the explosion…and that’s why we’re still in the dark. Those workers also had their evening plans disrupted and are working hard out there. 

  • Brandon June 17, 2025 (1:40 am)

    Hard to believe they finished that fast! Power restored at 1am here on the 7000 block of 18th Ave SW. 

  • L June 17, 2025 (1:58 am)

    Shoutout to Michael for that tree photo.  So satisfying to see the culprit.

  • Goddess Andraste June 17, 2025 (7:23 am)

    Looks like we’re all back up. I *think* it was around 1am, best I could tell through blurry vision and my Fitbit. ;)

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