Seattle Power Outages: Windstorm Leaves Tens of Thousands in the Dark

Weather & Disasters · Washington

Seattle windstorm: power, safety and what’s next

How many lost power on Nov. 7, 2026, where to check your outage and how to stay safe.

46,000City Light customers out at peak (PowerOutage.com)

110,000+Western Washington customers out

69 mphpeak gust at Hoquiam

Seattle power outages spread across the city on Saturday night, Nov. 7, 2026, when a windstorm with gusts over 60 mph swept through Western Washington. Seattle City Light reported more than 40,000 customers without power that evening, and regional counts topped 110,000.

The storm arrived fast and unusually warm. Seattle reached 62 degrees, close to the record, before the winds hit, according to meteorologist Scott Sistek of Emerald City Weather. By Sunday morning many customers had power back, but thousands were still waiting, and more wet weather is due this week.

How many people lost power in Seattle?

Counts changed hour by hour and differ by source, so here they are with the time and source:

• 8:30 p.m. Saturday: more than 28,331 City Light customers out in South and West Seattle (West Seattle Herald).
• Saturday evening: over 40,000 City Light customers without power, from Shoreline to Gregory Heights (KIRO 7).
• About 9:30 p.m.: about 46,000 City Light customers and just over 115,000 across Western Washington, according to PowerOutage.com as cited by Emerald City Weather.
• Overnight: more than 42,000 around Seattle (West Seattle Herald update).
• 4:30 a.m. Sunday: about 50,000 still out across the region (Emerald City Weather).

How to check your outage

Note that City Light’s map does not cover the underground network areas downtown, on First Hill and in the University District, according to the utility’s page.

Safety during Seattle power outages

Seattle City Light posted these reminders on Nov. 8: stay away from downed power lines and report them to 911; treat dark traffic signals as stop signs; never use grills to heat your home; and stay indoors during high winds.

Other storm impacts

Emerald City Weather reported that a multi-vehicle crash and downed trees blocked all southbound lanes of Interstate 5 near U.S. 12 in Lewis County on Saturday night, citing the Washington State Patrol. Wind alerts were canceled just after 1 a.m. Sunday.

Seattle forecast: more storms this week

Why windstorms knock out so much power in Seattle

Most of the region’s neighborhood power lines run overhead, through streets lined with tall trees. When strong gusts arrive after rain, soaked soil loosens roots and whole trees can fall, while broken limbs land on wires and transformers. Early in the season, some trees still carry leaves, which catch more wind. That is why a storm with gusts in the 40s and 50s can cut power to tens of thousands of customers, and why crews must clear trees before they can repair the lines.

How to prepare for the next storm

• Charge everything before a wind advisory: phones, power banks and laptops.
• Keep a kit with flashlights, batteries, a battery radio, water and shelf-stable food for a few days.
• Know your utility and save its outage number and map link in your phone.
• Plan for medical needs. If someone relies on powered medical equipment, arrange a backup power source or a place to go.
• Secure loose items such as patio furniture, trash cans and holiday decorations.
• Sign up for alerts from your city or county emergency management office.

What businesses should do after an outage

For restaurants, shops and offices, a few hours without power can mean spoiled inventory, lost sales and data problems. A short plan helps:

• Food safety: follow your county health department’s rules on how long refrigerated food is safe without power, and document what you throw out.
• Insurance: check whether your policy covers spoilage or business interruption, and photograph damage before cleanup.
• Payments: keep a backup way to take payments, such as a phone-based card reader with a charged battery.
• Data: use battery backups for routers and computers, and keep files in the cloud.
• Staff: set a simple text-message plan so employees know whether to come in.

Our small business budget guide covers building an emergency reserve for days like this.

Common mistakes

• Touching or driving over downed lines. Assume every line is live.
• Heating with a grill or generator indoors. Carbon monoxide poisoning is a leading storm danger.
• Opening the freezer repeatedly. Keep doors shut to hold the cold.
• Not reporting your outage. Utilities map damage from customer reports.
• Ignoring the next storm. More wet weather is forecast this week.

Key terms

• Seattle City Light: the city-owned electric utility serving Seattle and nearby areas.
• Puget Sound Energy (PSE): the investor-owned utility serving much of the region outside Seattle.
• Customer: a utility account, usually one home or business, not one person.
• Atmospheric river: a long band of moist air that can bring heavy rain.
• Wind gust: a brief burst of wind stronger than the average wind speed.

The bottom line: the Nov. 7, 2026 windstorm caused widespread Seattle power outages, with more than 40,000 City Light customers and over 110,000 across Western Washington in the dark at the peak. Check Seattle City Light’s outage map, report your outage, stay clear of downed lines and prepare for more storms this week.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• KIRO 7: Tens of thousands without power in King County as storms tear through Washington (Nov. 7, 2026)
• West Seattle Herald: High winds knock out power in November storm (Nov. 7, 2026, updated Nov. 8)
• Emerald City Weather: Over 110,000 lose power as potent storm brings 60+ mph winds to Western Washington (Nov. 7, 2026, updated Nov. 8)
• Seattle City Light: Outage map and reporting (viewed Nov. 8, 2026)
• Rolling Out: Seattle storm cuts power to 46,000, and more storms loom (Nov. 8, 2026)
• Ready.gov: Power Outages