Gusting winds whip Tri-Cities, Northwest

Trampolines went flying, trucks went tumbling and trees came crashing down in Tuesday’s Mid-Columbia windstorm.

A high wind warning remained in effect for the region until 4 a.m. Nov. 18.

At least two people were killed by falling trees in Spokane and Snohomish County in a storm that cut power to more than 300,000 across the state and canceled flights in some areas.

Winds reached as high as 113 mph atop Rattlesnake Mountain, with gusts up to 55 mph reported at the Richland Airport by early afternoon.

However, no commercial flights were grounded at the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco, according to officials.

A tree fell on a Pasco woman’s car, crushing the 2012 Scion she owned for less than a year. Melodee Koeper was planning to visit her sister, but decided not to risk it.

“I’m glad I didn’t get in that car, because I probably would have been sitting in it, starting it up,” she said. “Lord Jesus had a hand in this.”

The tree also pulled down power lines.

Another Pasco resident saw her family’s trampoline end up on top of their neighbor’s roof.

Jennifer Reed said the trampoline blew over a 6-foot fence and land on the house. She was able to tie it to the roof so it wouldn’t blow any farther.

“So scary!” she said.

Hanford workers were sent home early, on staggered release times, starting at 2 p.m. because of the 49-mph winds, with some gusts up to 72 mph. Some night-shift workers were allowed to report late.

Several area highways were closed for much of the day, including Highway 395 from Connell to Ritzville. Stretches of Interstate 90 between Ritzville and Vantage and Highway 221 near Prosser also were closed because of high winds and poor visibility due to blowing dust.

An overturned semi-truck and trailer blocked both directions of Highway 240 for a while in the afternoon about 15 miles west of Richland, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The truck, driven by Nicky R. Rocha, 43, of Richland, rolled into a ditch. Rocha was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland to be checked.

A second semi-truck also rolled over on Highway 240 near Horn Rapids and Kingsgate Drive, the state patrol reported.

Near Connell, 31-year-old Julio Guzman Ugalde failed to slowdown along eastbound Highway 260. Driving a 2003 Honda Accord, he crashed into the back of Yovilyn Pangilan, 38, in her 2007 Honda Fit.

First responders transported Pangilan to Kadlec with injuries. Troopers charged Guzman Ugalde with negligent driving.

Paterson School District initially asked students to remain in school until conditions on Highway 221 improved to allow visibility for the buses, but ended up canceling its bus run entirely. The highway between Paterson and Prosser has been the site of many collisions in poor weather.

A 13-mile stretch of Highway 221 was closed because of gusting winds and blowing debris between Sellards Road and Prosser.

Another semi-truck and trailer blew over on Highway 221, a mile south of Prosser, just before 3 p.m., partly blocking the road, said the WSP. Driver Alberto Q. Rascon, 64, of Bell, Calif., was taken to PMH Medical Center in Prosser.

Franklin PUD reported a power outage at its Ringold Substation. Its customers were asked to report outages at 509-542-5300.

In south Richland, the city delayed collecting the garbage in the Westcliffe area until Wednesday because of the gusts, according to the city’s Facebook page.

Several Richland areas saw power outages, but it was restored by late Tuesday afternoon, according to the city. Call 509-943-4428 to report an outage in Richland.

The National Weather Service issued a windstorm warning that began noon Tuesday and ran until midnight for most of Eastern Washington and northern Idaho.

Spokane police said a woman in her 50s was killed when a tree toppled, taking down power lines as it fell Tuesday afternoon.

The Cheney and Spokane campuses of Eastern Washington University also closed Tuesday afternoon because of high winds. Flights into and out of Spokane International Airport were canceled or delayed Tuesday evening.

In Sultan, a man in his mid-20s died when a tree crushed his car as he was driving.

Puget Sound Energy reported over 215,000 customers without power in its Western Washington region Tuesday afternoon as trees toppled onto roadways and power lines.

An electrical power failure at a Tacoma sewer treatment plant resulted in waste water sewage discharging for a short time into the lower Puyallup River.

Two mudslides were blocking Highway 2 between Skykomish and Deception Falls, the state Department of Transportation said.

In Oregon, thousands were reportedly without power in the greater Portland area and a flood watch was issued for the northern Oregon coast through Wednesday.

This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 1:14 PM with the headline "Gusting winds whip Tri-Cities, Northwest."