LIVE UPDATES: WA power outages, flooding, blizzard warning, road closures

SEATTLE - As western Washington continues to grapple with flooding across the region, with multiple levee breaks in King County, continuous rain, wind and mountain snow are expected to cause widespread impacts.

Local river levels are expected to rise, with the Skagit River possibly hitting major flood stage as early as Wednesday morning. A blizzard warning is in effect for the Cascades and Olympic Mountains until noon, and strong winds have knocked out power to hundreds ohf thousands.

Keep reading for live weather updates for Wednesday, Dec. 17.

 8:12 a.m.: Island, Thurston and Pierce counties hit hardest by power outages

Gerald Tracy with Puget Sound Energy joined Good Day Seattle to discuss the main problem spots for outages. 

"We're really seeing most of our outages at right now are Island, Thurston and Pierce counties," Tracy said. "A lot of large trees being down blocking the way. So trees being down is really the big issue today. 

7:47 a.m.: ‘A lot of trees are falling down’ on US 12

WSDOT crews said a lot of trees are falling down on US 12/White Pass. 

In addition to the fallen trees, strong winds and blowing snow are causing low visibility. 

6:45 a.m.: US 101 near Hoodsport in Mason County closed

A slide has closed US 101 near Hoodsport. 

WSDOT says engineering geologists will be checking the hillside to determine the next steps. 

6:37 a.m.: US-12 White Pass closed 

Hazardous conditions, high winds and numerous fallen trees have closed down US-12 White Pass. 

WSDOT says eastbound traffic is stopped at Packwood milepost 135 and westbound traffic is stopped at the Oak Creek Feeding Station, milepost 183, three miles west of the Junction of SR 410.

It's not known when the road will reopen. 

6:10 a.m.: Tens of thousands WA customers without power

Here are the latest numbers as of 5:30 a.m. Wednesday:

• Clark: 79,745
• Snohomish: 60,983
• Pierce: 56,299
• Island: 31,287
• Thurston: 25,352
• Grays Harbor: 22,110
• Lewis: 12,461
• Cowlitz: 12,071

5:51 a.m.: Renton road closed due to tree leaning on power lines

Benson Rd. S. between S. 26th St. to 106th Ave. SE in Renton is closed due to a tree leaning on power lines over the roadway. 

5:31 a.m.: Tree crashes into home in Tacoma, WA

After 1:50 a.m., crews responded to a report of a large cedar tree in a home on East 82nd Street in Tacoma. 

The Tacoma Fire Department said the tree took out power lines and the gas meter to the home. 

No injuries were reported. 

5:18 a.m.: Trees reported down on SR 109 in Grays Harbor

WSDOT announced that both directions of State Route 109 are closed in both directions at milepost 24. 

5:15 a.m.: WA school districts announce closures, delays

Several school districts in western Washington are closed or delayed on Wednesday, Dec. 17, after a storm moved in overnight.

FOX 13 Seattle has an updated list. 

4:51 a.m.: Road closures in Renton

The city of Renton said several roads are closed due to flooding, a downed tree and power lines. 

As of Wednesday morning, the following roads were still closed:

• NE 23rd St. and Edmonds Ave.
• Logan Ave. in both directions from N. 3rd St. to N. 6th St.
• Burnett Ave. N. in both directions between N. 4th St. to N. 6th St.

4:45 a.m.: Cedar River at Phase 4 

The King County Flood Warning Center says the Cedar River is at a Phase 4 on Wednesday. They are warning people that several roads that provide access to neighborhoods may be impacted. 

For an updated map and list, click here. 

4:35 a.m.: I-5 off-ramp in SeaTac closed due to debris

WSDOT crews are working to clear debris on the northbound I-5 off-ramp to South 216th Street.

As of 2:30 a.m., the ramp was closed and it's not known when it will reopen. Drivers are asked to take alternate routes. 

4:22 a.m.: Partial building collapse in Aberdeen, WA

Part of a building collapsed Tuesday night in Aberdeen due to high winds. 

The incident happened near S I Street and East Wishkah Street. 

According to police, the left lane and south sidewalk will be closed during the morning commute, and drivers are being asked to drive slow and allow extra time during the morning commute. 

4:15 a.m.: Northbound SR 169 in Renton reduced to one lane because of slide

Officials with WSDOT are warning drivers traveling on the Maple Valley Highway in Renton that northbound SR 169 is reduced to one lane near milepost 25, southeast I-405 because of a slide. 

4:00 a.m.: Nearly 400,000 without power in WA, 200,000 in OR

The latest round of wind and rain in the Pacific Northwest knocked out power to more than half a million people.

Nearly 400,000 people in Washington state and more than 200,000 in Oregon were without power as of 4:00 a.m. Wednesday.

The hardest hit counties in Washington were Clark, Pierce, Snohomish, Island, Thurston, Grays Harbor, Lewis and King counties:

• Clark: 93,912
• Pierce: 80,358
• Snohomish: 38,955
• Island: 32,533
• Thurston: 26,589
• Grays Harbor: 21,397
• Lewis: 15,992
• King: 14,880

3:50 a.m.: Heavy rain, flood warnings, blizzard warnings

Wednesday weather forecast

Rain will continue to fall across western Washington overnight, pushing several local rivers to flood stage. The Skagit River at Mt. Vernon and Concrete is forecast to hit major flood stage this week.

A High Wind Warning and Wind Advisory is in effect through early Wednesday, with wind gusts up to 60 mph possible. This could lead to downed trees and power outages.

A Blizzard Warning is in effect through Wednesday afternoon for heavy snow and gusty winds. Pass travel will be difficult, so drivers are asked to wait out the hazardous conditions.

Flooding in Pacific, WA after levee fails

A levee breach along the White River prompted Level 3 "Go Now" evacuations for parts of Pacific, Washington, as homes and cars were swamped by floodwaters overnight.

Multiple state agencies responded to the city on Tuesday to reinforce the broken levee with sandbags, while also assessing damages and helping evacuees.

This comes after a section of a levee along the Green River was also breached in Tukwila on Monday, which triggered a Flash Flood Warning for the surrounding area. Crews also used sandbags to plug the levee, which held Monday night into Tuesday.

Road closures in western Washington

Governor Bob Ferguson said Tuesday that a 50-mile stretch of US 2 Stevens Pass will likely remain closed for months following severe storm damage, with a portion of the highway washed out from flooding.

There is no timeline for when US 2 will reopen through Tumwater Canyon, with detours available via US 97 over Blewett Pass and SR 28 through Quincy.

Both directions of SR 167 are closed between South 212th Street in Kent and 15th Street Northwest in Auburn due to water on the roadway.

Interstate 90 has two eastbound lane closures near North Bend due to a landslide, and all westbound lanes are blocked near Cle Elum due to construction. SR 410 has also reopened for limited, single-lane access after a road washout.

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