🌧️ Weekend Storm Knocks Out Power Across Thurston County

If you live in Thurston County, you’re probably still feeling the effects of this weekend’s powerful storm.

As of Monday morning, more than 13,000 Puget Sound Energy (PSE) customers were still without power across the region, and over 2,000 of those outages were right here in Thurston County.

⚡ Major Damage to Transmission Lines

PSE officials say the storm brought heavy rain and high winds that tore through Western Washington late Saturday and into Sunday, causing significant damage to major transmission lines, including several that run through mountain corridors feeding local substations.

Crews have been working around the clock, but the utility warns that full restoration may take until Tuesday evening or even Wednesday due to the complexity of the damage.

Helicopter crews were dispatched Sunday to assess the hardest-hit areas across the Olympics and Cascades, where fallen trees and debris made ground access difficult.

📊 The Scale of the Outage

At the storm’s peak, more than 100,000 PSE customers in Thurston County experienced some level of outage, from brief flickers to multi-day disruptions. It’s one of the largest regional outages in recent years, underscoring how vulnerable the local grid remains to high-wind events, especially those that hit early in the fall season.

🔦 What’s Next

PSE says additional crews have been brought in from other parts of the state to speed up repairs. They’re prioritizing hospitals, first responders, and critical infrastructure before shifting focus to smaller neighborhood grids.

For those still without power, officials recommend preparing for another day or two of outages, keeping freezers closed to preserve food, and reporting downed lines immediately.

📞 Report an outage: pse.com/outage
⚡ Update frequency: Every 60 minutes via the PSE Outage Map
💡 Estimated restoration: Tuesday evening–Wednesday (weather permitting)

📨 I’m Aaron Thomas, a local realtor sharing real-time updates and community stories that impact life here in the South Sound.
Every Friday, we publish the South Sound Report, covering what’s happening across Olympia, Tacoma, and surrounding areas, from weather recovery to new business openings.

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