Hold onto your hats

[annathepiper]

solarbird just passed around the word about a high wind watch in effect for Western Washington this weekend. It got posted about on weathernerds here, and weather.com has a high wind watch posted for our area here.

The part that makes me go "err, that's bad" is this part:

USTAINED WINDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH...OR GUSTS OF 60 MPH OR STRONGER MAY OCCUR. THESE VERY WINDY CONDITIONS MAY CAUSE TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE. WITH THE SOIL STILL RATHER WET AROUND WESTERN WASHINGTON...TREES MAY BE A LITTLE EASIER TO TOPPLE.

So be on the lookout, folks. Batten down the hatches, stock up on things to make you comfy if the power goes out, and try not to stand under any unsteady-looking trees. Oh, and if the Super Bowl on Sunday is important to you, just to be safe, you might want to have a battery-powered radio on hand. I'm just sayin'!

Comments

[poetry-lady.livejournal.com]

It's already come to pass out here in the Valley. On West Snoqualmie Valley Road, there was a downed tree that hit a power line and started a fire. I saw the flashing in the sky when it fell, and a minute later came upon the shattered tree and the growing flames in the very wet grass.

Needless to say, 911 was called. I was fortunately not the only one who called.

[annathepiper]

Different system, says Dara; the one this new watch is about isn't on local radar yet, it's still overseas but headed this way. That said, yikes!

[king-chiron.livejournal.com]

Yikes. I couldn't believe how windy it was on Wednesday, I don't think I had ever felt so much sway in 520 going to work that morning, it was freaky feeling the road move beneath you.

[annathepiper]

I've been on the bridge when it does that, yeah. It's very unnerving. O.O

[annathepiper]

From what poetry_lady was saying further up the thread, Duvall's already seen some interesting winds in the last day or so.

But according to the watch data, this is expected to roll in some time on Saturday evening. So tomorrow may be quiet wind-wise. Guess we'll have to see; last couple of times I remember wind watches around here, they turned out to be unremarkable. Really, I haven't seen a windstorm around here to top the Inauguration Day windstorm in 1992, when they closed down Microsoft. ;)

[casirafics.livejournal.com]

'93, actually, but close enough. ;) That one had everyone in my high school quarantined in their second-period classrooms for five hours, power was out at my house for three days, and I got a nasty case of bronchitis there in the cold and the damp. It was all SORTS of fun. ;) Actually, the really fun bit was when I finally got home after the five-hour marathon: one of those articulated buses coming down our street realized too late that said street was blocked by fallen trees at one end, and, as it had nowhere to turn around, had to back down the street. Back a few feet, realize the back end of the bus is swinging to the left, pull up, back up a few feet again, realize back end is swinging to the right, pull up a bit, back up again....

This went on for a while.

A really long while.




I really hope the power stays on this weekend... argh.

[annathepiper]

RIGHT. '93. DUH. :)

What I remember about that storm is the security guys coming around Microsoft kicking us all out of our offices and sending us home. And all the power being out in Kirkland as I drove past it on my way home to the U-district.

And yeah, the power going out this weekend would suck. Especially if it's off during the Super Bowl. Not that I care so much personally myself, but I'm thinking that if we get hit by a windstorm just before Super Bowl Sunday when the Hawks are in the game, there may well be riots even if it's windy! ;)

[llachglin.livejournal.com]

That was the big one (since the Columbus Day storm, which was before my time.)

My neighborhood in Olympia was without power for four or five days during that storm (even though it went back on at the college across the street within the day). I ended up leaving town for the weekend so I could finish a paper I had due for school. There were a couple of dorms hit by fallen trees, too.

[annathepiper]

*nodnod* I remember being so stunned that it actually shut down Microsoft. To this day I think it's the only time I can remember that Microsoft officially closed down the entire campus due to weather. There have been several times since that I've been allowed to go home because of weather, but the company itself remained technically open.

[kissare.livejournal.com]

Ugh... this weekend was supposed to be 'car shopping weekend' for my boyfriend, with me as chauffeur. Not looking forward to driving around in those conditions. But if we all live through the Wind of Doom, at least we can hope for some of that "abundant sunshine" for Monday!

[annathepiper]

It'll be interesting to see what happens. Last few times I remember windstorm warnings around here, they wound up not amounting to much. I'm just thinkin', it'd suck extra special if the power went out for a large chunk of the city the day before the Hawks are in the Super Bowl!