A rapidly intensifying storm, known as a bomb cyclone, slammed into western Washington this week with wind gusts topping 70 mph. Falling trees crushed cars and homes, and at the height of the storm well over half a million homes and businesses were without electricity across the Puget Sound region. Some outages are expected to last for days as crews clear hundreds of miles of damaged lines.

When a Storm Has No Name

This storm was not a hurricane and never had a name, yet it produced hurricane-force impacts on the grid. Saturated soil and towering evergreens are a dangerous combination in high wind, and utilities reported damage across hundreds of miles of transmission and distribution lines. Events like this are exactly why backup power matters in every region of the country, not just hurricane states.

Preparing for Winter Windstorms

• Inspect your standby generator before the heart of storm season and confirm automatic operation.
• Run a test cycle to verify a clean transfer when utility power drops.
• Service natural gas or propane connections and confirm your fuel supply.
• Consider a whole-home system from Generac or Kohler for protection through multi-day outages.

Stay Informed

More Pacific storms are lining up offshore. Monitor National Weather Service forecasts and your utility’s outage alerts as the active pattern continues.