Power Outage in Wenatchee, WA

Observer reported 3 inch trees limbs and power poles were broken via Mping.

Chelan County PUD reported numerous downed trees and power poles along the southern end of Lake Chelan. Some apple trees in nearby orchards were also damaged.

Significant rainfall resulted in cherry damage to several orchards from the Wenatchee area, northward toward Pateros. It was reported that up to approximately fifteen percent or more of the cherry orchards were damaged. The Skeena variety of cherries was most damaged as the rainfall resulted in severe cracking of fruit. The ASOS at the Wenatchee Airport reported 0.30 inches of rainfall between 0600PST and 1200PST. Damage estimations were based on a loss of 150 tons of cherries combined with the additional costs of renting roughly a dozen helicopters used to dry the orchards. One helicopter pilot died when the low-flying aircraft clipped a power-line and crashed.

Significant rainfall resulted in cherry damage to several orchards from the Wenatchee area, northward toward Pateros. It was reported that up to approximately fifteen percent or more of the cherry orchards were damaged. The Skeena variety of cherries was most damaged as the rainfall resulted in severe cracking of fruit. The ASOS at the Wenatchee Airport reported 0.30 inches of rainfall between 0600PST and 1200PST. Damage estimations were based on a loss of 150 tons of cherries combined with the additional costs of renting roughly a dozen helicopters used to dry the orchards. One helicopter pilot died when the low-flying aircraft clipped a power-line and crashed.

During the late night and early morning hours of June 25th a strong cold front transited eastern Washington. The front exploited mid level instability and a moist air mass as it crossed the Cascades and broke out into eastern Washington. A line of thunderstorms developed between midnight and 4 AM PST and transited west to east through the Cascades and the mountains of northeastern Washington. Many of these storms were severe with damaging outflow winds blowing down trees, damaging structures and producing power outages in the Cascades and the Okanogan Highlands. Several fires were started by lightning strikes as well. The line weakened as it moved through north Idaho with no further damage reports, and passed into Montana by 7 AM PST, ending further thunderstorm activity.||Many people confirmed this event's damage with pictures of buildings and hundreds of trees lost in small, localized areas.

An intense low pressure system passed through Western Washington and up into Southern British Columbia. As it did so it swept a very intense occluded front over Eastern Washington. The strong wind associated with the passing front brought some trees down and caused some power outages in Eastern Washington in addition to heavy rainfall at times which caused debris flows in some of the mountain locations more prone to it.

What was most likely a dust devil caused damage near McKittrick and Pershing Streets in Wenatchee. The dust devil ripped the aluminum roof off a porch and scattered pieces of it down the block. Metal sheeting was also blown into powerlines, knocking out power to around 700 people. Property damage is unknown for this event.

Severe thunderstorms resulted in extensive hail damage, flash flooding, and wind damage across portions of Chelan and Okanogan counties. Hail damage was very extensive across both counties with the apple crop hardest hit. Other crops damaged included: cherries, pears, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. Very heavy rain associated with thunderstorms also led to flash flooding. On Lake Chelan near Slide Peak, mud and debris flow covered the south shore road up to 3-10 feet deep. Rocks the size of cars were also observed on the road. Mud debris also blocked a road in the town of Methow. Strong winds also occurred from the storms with trees and power lines down in Winthrop resulting in power outages. The winds also led to reports of roof damage near Oroville, Conconully, and Pateros. The entire roof was taken off the Pateros Public Library, with water damage then destroying two books and a keyboard.

Wind gusts radiating outward from a severe thunderstorm over southern Washington moved through the Columbia Basin and valleys of the eastern slopes of the Cascades on the evening of April 23rd. In the town of Coulee in Grant County, the wind blew down two large trees with an irrigation pump house destroyed. The gust front then moved east into the town of Chelan in Chelan County where numerous trees were blown down including a few very large Spruce trees. There were also some power outages in Chelan. The town of Twisp in Okanogan County was next to be hit where more trees were reported blown down including a large tree falling on an automobile. There were some power outages and a few brush fires started as well in Twisp.