Downed trees, a mudflow and a semi rollover. Storms bring ‘mild chaos’ to Tri-Cities

Another electrical storm that blew through the Tri-Cities on Saturday evening brought wind gusts of up to 51 mph.

That was the highest speed recorded at 5:18 p.m. at the Tri-Cities Airport, according to the National Weather Service in Pendleton.

Thunder, lightning and light rain were reported at the same time, when visibility at the Pasco airport dropped to six miles from the normal 10 miles.

The high winds continued overnight and well into Sunday, and caused havoc for some drivers and residents.

In Kennewick, a tree fell across Kennewick Avenue at Newport Street shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday.

Police told drivers to avoid the area and take a detour until city crews could remove the tree.

In West Richland, the storm brought some mild chaos, said police.

The heavy rainfall pushed several inches of mud onto South 38th Avenue and the road had to be shut down while city maintenance workers cleared it.

One worker described it as “trying to scoop up soup with a fork,” said a Facebook post.

South of Kennewick, not far from the Oregon border, a Walmart semi truck and trailer ended up in the median of Interstate 82.

A report from the Washington State Patrol only said the cause of the 4:53 p.m. rollover was under investigation.

However, it happened at the same time a storm system brought a heavy downpour across Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington.

Truck driver Brett L. Anderson, 53, was injured in the crash. He was taken to Trios Southridge Hospital in Kennewick for treatment.

The state patrol said the Malta, Idaho, man was on the Highway 17 miles outside of Kennewick — just up the hill from the weigh station — when his truck left the road and rolled into the median.

Anderson was wearing a seat belt in the crash.

The high temperature in the Tri-Cities is expected to be in the mid-70s for a couple of days before returning to the low 80s on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

The lows will briefly drop into the 40s Monday night, but otherwise should remain steady in the 50s.

Rain showers could return Friday night and Saturday.

This story was originally published May 31, 2020 at 3:45 PM.