Strong wind storm hammers Kitsap, Western Washington

On By Littum

Kitsap Sun staff
| Kitsap Sun

Schools are delayed and some closed in Kitsap County, roads remained blocked by trees and power outages continue across the region Wednesday after a strong wind storm arrived Tuesday night.

The Bainbridge Island School District suspended all classes Wednesday due to power outages on the island, and the Central Kitsap School District, North Kitsap School District and Olympic College’s Bremerton campus will open two hours late, the districts reported early Wednesday. Additionally, Gordon Elementary in North Kitsap is closed for the day due to a power outage, and OC’s Poulsbo campus opens at

Puget Sound Energy said so nearly 475,000 customers in Western Washington were without power from 1 Wednesday, expecting some outages to last days due to downed trees and other complications from the storm that knocked out power. That includes thousands in Kitsap County, according to PSE, the majority of which are in the Bainbridge, North Kitsap and Illahee and Brownsville areas of Central Kitsap.

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According to the National Weather Service, the strong gusts hit locations in the Cascades and foothills and in northern Puget Sound, hitting peaks of 61 mph in Port Townsend, 63 mpg on Camano Island and more than 70 mph in Enumclaw or Mount Rainier. A gust of 55 mph was also measured at Sea-Tac Airport.

Showers are expected to remain in the region through Wednesday and the rest of the week, but the forecast from the National Weather Service did not call for continued high winds.

Washington State Ferries alerted its passengers early Wednesday morning they should expect bumpy rides due to rough water and possible service disruptions as the inclement weather continues throughout the morning. Meanwhile, Kitsap Transit canceled two of its early morning express ferry routes from Kingston and Seattle. Kitsap Transit warned his riders on Tuesday night that the strong wind could also affect its sailings.

Kitsap County announced at least 12 road closures due to downed trees or power lines across streets. The list, which can be found on the Kitsap County Road Report website, mainly included roads in North Kitsap, although a closure off Sedgwick in South Kitsap was also noted. Roads where power lines are blocking traffic must wait for PSE crews to respond before they can reopen.

By late morning, Kitsap County Public Works announced that Hansville Road, Nels Nelson Road in Central Kitsap and Clover Valley Road and SE Inwood Lane in South Kitsap had all been cleared by county crews.

City offices on Bainbridge Island are also operating on a two-hour delayed opening Wednesday, and the city announced several road closures as public works crews assess damage. These include:

  • 8034 Ferncliff Avenue (Ferncliff, north of High School Road)
  • Eagle Harbor Drive, west of Taylor
  • Manitou Beach Drive between Murden Cove and N Madison
  • Manzanita Road between Day and Hidden Cove
  • Wing Point Way between Cherry and Ferryview

Delivery of the Kitsap Sun print edition has also been affected due to overnight weather. Delivery may be delayed in some areas of Kitsap County.

This story will be updated on Wednesday.