UPDATE: Fallen tree(s) blamed for second big West Seattle power outage in six days

2:17 AM: More than 6,800 customers are out, mostly in north West Seattle. Cause unknown so far.

2:22 AM UPDATE: Apparently it’s a tree into wires in the 4800 block of 26th SW. SFD is en route.

2:33 AM UPDATE: SPD dispatch also has broadcast a report of a “split pole” in the 4700 block of 25th SW. … Previous outage was this same time of the morning, 2 am-ish, last Wednesday; in that one, a tree fell into a line south of The Junction, affecting 2,000 fewer customers than this outage.

2:43 AM: The firefighters that just arrived told dispatch “multiple trees, multiple lines” are down and suggested they warn City Light this is going to be “a big job.” … Dispatch just told SFD that the outage has “affected a pump station” which in turn might mean lower water pressure.

3:01 AM: Two people have texted that their power’s back on; still waiting for SCL map to update. In many outages (like last Wednesday), some get their power back relatively quickly, others are hours later.

3:06 AM: Map now updated – fewer than 300 customers still out, mostly in North Delridge:

There’s also a pocket of 16 customers still out on Alki, west side of Duwamish Head.

9:26 AM: City Light shows 40+ customers still out. A reader has sent photos of the scene:

74 Replies to "UPDATE: Fallen tree(s) blamed for second big West Seattle power outage in six days"

  • Scott August 19, 2025 (2:19 am)

    It sounded like a transformer just blew up in the north Delridge area

    • Lisa L. August 19, 2025 (2:24 am)

      That’s what I heard, as well. It was loud. The power surged and went out for a bit. It’s back already for us at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center.

    • Xana La Fuente August 19, 2025 (2:25 am)

      Thats not good. Theres nothing on Twitter. I was thinking of calling SPD non emergency and seeing what they know. 

      • WSB August 19, 2025 (2:37 am)

        I’ve already added above what SPD has reported. Tree down in North Delridge, pole problem nearby.SCL has tweeted but with less info. https://x.com/SEACityLight/status/1957737726830088612

        • Xana La Fuente August 19, 2025 (2:58 am)

          Yeah I had already typed that it took a few minutes for my comment to be approved I guess anyhow power back on at 53rd & Alki just now. 

      • Ryan caple August 19, 2025 (4:13 am)

        Hatch are pretty good but Pueblo green chiles are better :). Maybe because I’m from Pueblo and I’m a little biased. lol. Nothing better than a fresh batch of I’ve been making small batches of Pueblo green chile lately. Love it!

  • Thor August 19, 2025 (2:20 am)

    I think I heard a series of 2-3 loud booms when the power went out. I’m on Genesee/42nd. They seemed to be far away.

  • Kgcore August 19, 2025 (2:20 am)

    Yep, out on Hanford West of Schmitz Park..

  • Mariem August 19, 2025 (2:21 am)

    Out in N Admiral. Heard nothing. Just out in the whole neighborhood.

  • Rbot August 19, 2025 (2:21 am)

    I’m in Pigeon Point.  Multiple loud bangs and bright flashes. Power went out but oddly came back almost immediately.

  • Delridge Neighbor August 19, 2025 (2:23 am)

    I heard several loud explosions and the power went off and back on again on North Delridge. About 2:10 am. 

  • Xana La Fuente August 19, 2025 (2:24 am)

    Went out on Alki at 2:15 ish as far as I can see..I was in the middle of roasting my 200 lbs of Hatch green chile and watching Dexter, not happy! Good thing I have a gassed up generator on the deck, tons of candles and LED battery string lights for my vending tricycles. Thanks for posting about this theres nothing on Twitter. 

  • Ben August 19, 2025 (2:30 am)

    Second time in a week that a tree takes out the power for thousands in West Seattle… rough. 

  • Steve August 19, 2025 (2:33 am)

    I saw it happen. I was walking down Andover, there was a small boom and the sky lit up! Then it went completely dark. 10 seconds later another bright flash and the power went back on around pigeon point.

  • N August 19, 2025 (2:36 am)

    Thanks WSB for posting about this in the middle of the night! Y’all rock! It was so loud up here in N Delridge.

    • WSB August 19, 2025 (2:40 am)

      Thanks in turn to the first person who texted, saying their lights had flickered. That’s often the sign of an outage somewhere, so I clicked over to watch the outage map until this appeared a few minutes later.

      • Chip August 19, 2025 (2:56 am)

        Power back on in the 1200 block of alki! Thanks so much you guys for your great reporting as usual! 

  • Sparkles August 19, 2025 (2:37 am)

    Power flickered a couple times in Alaska junction, but ultimately stayed on

  • Ben August 19, 2025 (2:41 am)

    Everything still out here in North Admiral, near California @ SW Seattle Street. So much for getting work done tonight. 😞

    • Cait August 19, 2025 (2:53 am)

      Fellow night owl over here – had big plans to get ahead of some work tasks but that’s not happening.

      • night owl August 19, 2025 (3:02 am)

        fellow night owl here. i was just getting ready to install Linux on an old Surface tablet, haha. bummed i got interrupted as i was about to have some fun. :) power is back on as of a few minutes ago or so here in North Admiral.

      • Xana La Fuente August 19, 2025 (3:04 am)

        Dang well its back on Alki but I hope it doesn’t go out again. Everyone remember to charge your phone once its back on and any chargeable power banks flash lights in case it goes out again. 

  • West Seattle Mad Sci Guy August 19, 2025 (2:49 am)

    Power out at Avalon and 35th. And some building fire alarm went off on Avalon (just shut down post fire department showing). My upstairs neighbor sounds unhappy, heh.

    • WSB August 19, 2025 (2:57 am)

      Power outages sometimes set off multiple alarms – fire, carbon monoxide – and get people stuck in elevators (less likely this time of day) – so you often hear multiple sirens.

    • West Seattle Mad Sci Guy August 19, 2025 (3:01 am)

      Maybe. But the fire alarm went off some time after the power outage (pretty sure at least ten minutes!)Power just came back on (35th & Avalon) a few minutes ago after around 45 minutes or so out. Traffic light is back too.

  • Raymond August 19, 2025 (2:54 am)

    The water treatment station on Alki Ave SW near the corner of 53rd is banging like crazy. One bang a second from a vent. Started about 10 minutes after all dark. I will be crazy by morning…and sleepless in W Sea

    • Als August 19, 2025 (3:01 am)

      Ohhh that’s what’s the sound is!! It was driving me insane! Thought it was someone hitting a metal pole. Luckily the power came back on around 2:55 so now I don’t hear it thanks to the AC. Was also preparing for another infuriating sleepless night. 

    • Xana La Fuente August 19, 2025 (3:02 am)

      Is that what that was?! I was like what the heck is that. I thought it was a person hitting a metal drum with a stick to ease their anxiety about being in the dark. I must be close to you. Im on 53rd & Alki. Hope you get some sleep, powers back on now. 

  • Betty August 19, 2025 (2:57 am)

    Power back at 45thSW and Seattle St. at 2:57

  • Car alarm? August 19, 2025 (2:57 am)

    The lower bridge sounds like its own version of a car alarm is going off every 5 minutes. Live in pigeon point and it’s been happening since around that time. 

  • Pigeon Point Neighbor August 19, 2025 (2:57 am)

    Since the power went out and came back on, there’s been an on-again-off-again horn/alarm going off down near Delridge (I’m in Pigeon Point). At first I thought it was a train, but it has been going off since at least before 2:30. I’m wondering if the power outage triggered something down at the steel mill? 

  • Ellen August 19, 2025 (2:58 am)

    Just came back on at California / Genessee! Yay!

  • Sleepy August 19, 2025 (2:59 am)

    Power just came back on at 35th and Avalon

  • Rhonda August 19, 2025 (2:59 am)

    Our power went out twice for about 1 second in Arbor Heights. 

  • Xana La Fuente August 19, 2025 (2:59 am)

    Power back on at Alki & 53rd. Woohoo! 

  • J August 19, 2025 (3:00 am)

    Back on in N Admiral!

  • Cait August 19, 2025 (3:00 am)

    Power is back over here near the bridge! 

  • Mariem August 19, 2025 (3:01 am)

    Back on in N Admiral. Grateful ! 

    • MH August 19, 2025 (3:10 am)

      Yes!! Power back on California/Holgate!! Very grateful! 

  • Siddhesh Shirsat August 19, 2025 (3:02 am)

    Thank you WSB for keeping us updated..

    • MH August 19, 2025 (3:12 am)

      Thank you WSB!! All of the updates were very helpful! Appreciate you!! 

  • Monk Man August 19, 2025 (3:02 am)

    Just got power back in North Admiral on California 

  • Naomi August 19, 2025 (3:04 am)

    Power back on in Alki now.

  • Ben August 19, 2025 (3:04 am)

    Good news! Power back on here in North Admiral, California/SW Seattle Street. 

  • Chris August 19, 2025 (3:06 am)

    Back on in North Admiral.   Thank you WSB for your reporting.   Very much appreciated.   We had called the power company line and they had stated no power until about 8:50 a.m. and the power switched on here about 2:50 a.m.

    • WSB August 19, 2025 (3:17 am)

      We always point out that the “estimated restoration times” are not worth paying attention to, because they’re not based on anything rational like an estimate of how long the problem will take to fix. Sometimes (like this one) it’s back MUCH sooner, sometimes much later!

      • chris August 19, 2025 (3:37 am)

        I’m still without power on Fauntleroy. My area isn’t even highlighted on the map.

  • Lhurgoyf August 19, 2025 (3:10 am)

    Whatever happened it’s definitely not on the 4800 block of 26th, just drove by out of curiosity and there was a single fire truck leaving and no evidence of a downed tree.. any one have a better estimation of where the event happened?

    • Ray August 19, 2025 (3:47 am)

      4800 area of 26th is where the trees came down. The pole is smashed and power lines are hanging all over. It looks like most of the lines in the alley from Alaska to Hudson are down. The SCL crew on scene said the damage is bad enough that they think it will be a couple of days before service is back for that stretch of houses.

  • Laura Hanahan August 19, 2025 (3:26 am)

    Power back on 15 minutes or so ago

  • N August 19, 2025 (5:37 am)

    it is daybreak and SCL crews are currently using chainsaws in the alley between 25th and 26th Ave SW, trucks parked on Hudson. no power yet in N Delridge

  • CG August 19, 2025 (6:13 am)

    Still out on 25th Ave SW, a block from Delridge. 😒

  • Lau August 19, 2025 (6:14 am)

    Still no power in the N Delridge area. Hope it takes not too much especially for the fridge/freezer stuff. Already 4 hrs without power.

  • vapocool August 19, 2025 (6:30 am)

    This makes me wonder what would happen if we all went totally electric,  vehicles, heating, cooking… I don’t think “Seattle’s” infrastructure could handle it. ??? I know our neighborhoods power wouldn’t.

  • Sparky August 19, 2025 (7:30 am)

    A falling tree on Delridge takes out nearly 7,000 customers all the way to Alki? Seattle City Light just adopted a new strategic plan that includes the following goal in Strategic Priority 1:     Decrease Unplanned Outages in Service Areas
    That Experience Above-Average Outage RatesWhat are they doing to achieve this goal? The current poor performance of our West Seattle grid is an ominous sign that Seattle City Light does not take their reliability metrics seriously.  Distribution resiliency has been a recent focus of the utility industry, as storm intensities increase and more strain is placed on the grid. Do we trust our local utility to meet this challenge?  I don’t.And to add insult to injury, that new Strategic Plan includes 5% rate increases every year for the next five years.  

    • Lola August 19, 2025 (3:16 pm)

      I see Seattle City Light makes sure that they have a nice safe crosswalk to cross on 4th Ave.  While I come down the ramp from the WSB into Vines in my left hand turn lane.  I agree that the outages are getting out of hand.  Most this year seem to be from falling trees or other debris that fall onto power lines or into the street.  Hence the hillside that came down on an on-ramp that the city camera caught. 

  • Lola August 19, 2025 (7:31 am)

    They don’t even talk about it on the news anymore as it occurs so often. When is the city going to start taking care of trees and greenbelts again.  I see so much overgrown stuff all the time.I do the ones that I can on the find it fix it app. but it does take them time to even get to them.  Overgrown stuff on the off-ramps.  We are being strangled by our own city with all of these falling trees and crap. 

  • Bavs August 19, 2025 (7:41 am)

    We’re back on 26th!  Phew!

  • N August 19, 2025 (8:15 am)

    SCL crew were out in the alley between 25th and 26th Ave SW with Hudson from about 5:15am until ~7am with their chainsaws. no power for us at North Delridge as of now.

    • Ani August 19, 2025 (11:11 am)

      That was right in front of our house. It was so annoying.

  • Chris August 19, 2025 (8:55 am)

    Power is back on the 5000 block of 25th Ave SW

  • Belvidere August 19, 2025 (10:41 am)

    Couple questions:

    1. Why do trees impact power lines when there is no weather event? 

     What were the loud bangs that sounded like explosions a around 2:10?Thanks for educating me.

    • WSB August 19, 2025 (10:50 am)

      It’s a misconception that trees are only taken out by wind, heavy rain, snow. We have reported both this year and previous years on trees just seemingly spontaneously falling. What I need to do is find an arborist or other expert to explain how that works. – TR

  • Katie Van Fleet August 19, 2025 (10:49 am)

    Power still out on 4800 block of 26th Ave. sw. They’ve got to bring cranes to replace the 4-5 power poles that split. 

  • North Admiral Cyclist August 19, 2025 (12:13 pm)

    I can’t remember the last time I saw tree trimming crews running around trimming trees near the power lines (crews from companies such as Asplundh).  They used to do this proactively – before the tree limbs created a problem.  Our neighborhood is full of big, out-of-control trees.  The City of Seattle website says it’s the power company’s responsibility to trim the trees.  I wonder if they have cut back on this maintenance.  

    • the ave August 19, 2025 (7:41 pm)

      i work on California Ave and live on and it happens all the time up and down the street. can’t speak for deeper parts of the suburb, though. i think it’s a classic case of “worry about it after it happens.”

  • Marie 47 August 19, 2025 (1:40 pm)

    We got lucky! 2 times! I can’t complain though. We’re often the ones not affected.  😁  The Inaugural day storm of 1993, my job (all of Burien) and half of West Seattle.  I came home after long cold day at work to see my side of the block lit up! Neighbors across the street out 3 days. 😥

  • SLS August 19, 2025 (7:55 pm)

    So I’m at 26th and Hudson and it’s almost 8 PM and the power is still out. Any updates on when it is going to actually come back on because I’m going to have to empty out my fridge and freezer if it doesn’t come back on soon. 😢 

    • WSB August 19, 2025 (8:16 pm)

      I just published an update. City Light says it’s hoping for “early tomorrow morning.”

    • A H August 19, 2025 (8:18 pm)

      SCL guys on the ground say probably not until tomorrow night. Good too know it might be sooner.

  • GW August 20, 2025 (1:17 am)

    Two guys up in a cherry picker with the cubby (?) working the wires and other stuff on/off the poles in the alley at Hudson between 25th and 26th. Asked another set of workers in the alley a bit farther south how long it’ll be and he said “probably by 7am”We are at one of the houses that still has no power.

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