Bomb cyclone knocks out power to the Plateau; here’s a snapshot of the damage

The Courier-Herald is looking for residents to share their stories about how they weathered the storm.

By Ray Miller-Still • November 21, 2024 12:14 pm

Tags: Enumclaw

Some parts of the Plateau are still without power after a bomb cyclone hit western Washington, affecting tens of thousands of residents.

Enumclaw, Black Diamond, and parts of Buckley were hit with a massive low-pressure wind storm on Nov. 19. While gusts around King County reached speeds between 50 and low-60 mph, the Plateau was buffeted with speeds up to 74 mph.

Power lines and trees were starting to come down as early at 3 p.m.

Puget Sound Energy has estimated that the remaining power outages in the 98022 ZIP code area will be resolved by noon on Saturday, Nov. 23, but many other outage reports around King County and beyond have the same estimate.

Additionally, state Route 169 continued to be closed this morning just north of the Stop and Shop outside of town. It’s unclear when the highway will open, but there are multiple detours to take in the area.

The Courier-Herald has reached out to PSE for comment about the storm, but did not immediately receive a response.

Unsurprisingly, the Enumclaw Fire Department was busy the night of the storm and the following morning; Deputy Chief Ben Hayman said crews received almost double the amount of the average daily call volume.

“Thankfully, we haven’t had any calls with serious damage to homes, so that’s good news,” he continued. Additionally, “I don’t recall any injuries related to the storm, or any… deaths related to the storm.”

While the worst of the storm seems to be over (barring another, smaller storm on Friday, Nov. 22), Hayman stressed that residents should continue to be cautious about using generators inside their homes until power returns.

“Thankfully we haven’t run into any CO (carbon monoxide) deaths… it seems like we have very competent individuals that are familiar and well-versed with storms,” he said.

Finally, Hayman said folks without generators should examine and replace the backup batteries in their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, as they may have used up their battery backups, or remember to replace the batteries if they were already removed.

The Courier-Herald is looking for residents to share their stories about how they weathered the storm; email raymond.still@courierherald.com with your submissions.