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Crews race to restore power on Whidbey Island, WA, after windstorm

By and
Updated  December 19, 2025 9:03am PST
Whidbey Island
FOX 13 Seattle
Power crews continue to restore power on Whidbey Island, WA

Power crews continue to restore power on Whidbey Island, WA

Puget Sound Energy said Whidbey Island was hit the hardest with outages. Thousands of people are still without power.

The Brief

    • Much of the south end of Whidbey Island remained without power Friday after a windstorm brought gusts up to 71 mph across western Washington earlier in the week.
    • Thursday morning, about 16,000 customers were without electricity as crews assessed damage to five substations and six transmission lines, using helicopter patrols in hard-to-reach areas.
    • Puget Sound Energy released an update saying Thursday's winds slowed down efforts to restore power, and some areas may not get power back until Saturday.

WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash. - Much of Whidbey Island remained without power Friday after a vicious windstorm swept through the area earlier in the week. Another round of winds on Thursday slowed down progress, and now PSE says some customers may remain without electricity until Saturday.

Much of Whidbey Island remained without power Thursday after a windstorm brought gusts up to 71 mph across western Washington. About 16,000 customers were without electricity as crews assessed damage to five substations and six transmission lines, using helicopter patrols in hard-to-reach areas. Puget Sound Energy said some customers could have power restored Thursday night, but others may not see service return until Friday.

A photo taken from Mukilteo shows Whidbey Island without power in the distance.

Puget Sound Energy said Island County was among the hardest-hit areas in the latest round of western Washington's stormy weather, with peak wind gusts clocking in at 71 mph earlier in the week. Additional concerns were raised Thursday with another wind advisory in the forecast.

A photo taken from Mukilteo shows Whidbey Island without power in the distance.

PSE outage map shows the majority of the outages in the south end of Whidbey Island. (PSE)

What they're saying:

PSE released an update on Friday: 

"After additional winds on Thursday slowed crews down and caused some additional damage, a full complement of crews are ready to make progress on the island this morning. We anticipate that most customers will have their power restored by 11:59 p.m. tonight. As we continue to assess the extensive damage on the south end of the island, there may be pockets of customers whose outages extend into Saturday."

While some outages remain under investigation, the majority of them were caused by downed trees.

Much of Whidbey Island is still without power after a vicious windstorm swept through western Washington. As crews work around the clock to restore power to the region, officials predict the some people won’t get their power restored until Friday night. Puget Sound Energy says Island County was one of the hardest hit areas in this latest round of stormy weather, with peak wind gusts clocking in at 71 mph. There is more concern Thursday as another wind advisory is in the forecast. According to PSE’s outage numbers at 8:30 a.m., there were around 16,000 customers without power on the island. There are five substations and six transmission lines that are still offline. Since Whidbey Island is an area where access is an issue, PSE says it is using helicopter patrols to assess the damage to its electrical system. PSE also has extra contractors helping with restoration efforts. Whidbey Island suffered a significant amount of damage, especially along the south end of the island. In a Thursday morning update from PSE, they say that people in that area could get power back by Thursday night, but some people still may not get their power restored by Friday.

(FOX 13 Seattle)

Because access to parts of Whidbey Island can be limited, PSE said it is using helicopter patrol to assess damage to its electrical system. Additional contractors have also been brought in to assist with restoration efforts. 

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LIVE UPDATES: Road closures, power outages, flooding in western WA
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LIVE UPDATES: Road closures, power outages, flooding in western WA

FOX 13 is tracking the latest weather conditions as widespread rain, breezy winds and mountain snow remains in the forecast.

When will power be restored on Whidbey Island, WA after the windstorm?

The island sustained significant damage, particularly on the south end. In a Friday morning update, PSE said some customers in the area could see power restored by Friday night, though others in Island County may have outages extending into Saturday.

This is a developing story.

The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle and Puget Sound Energy.

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