Metereologists say this storm could rival the 2006 Hanaukkah-Eve storm, which ripped this tree out of the ground.
A snapshot from the 2006 "Hanaukkah-Eve" storm. Seattleites can expect downed trees and power lines. Matt Ragen / Shutterstock.com

Nasty wind and rainstorms, remnants of Pacific Storm Songda, are headed towards the Northwest.

Seattle City Light reports 35 power outages across the city, many of which were caused by downed trees. The outages runs from Broadview to Burien, according to their most recent map. You can view live updates here.

Today's wind storms could just be a taste of what's to come, said Scott Thomsen, a public information officer for City Light.

"Today is more of a typical winter storm for this area. What's coming tomorrow could be much worse. With that kind of event, there could be hundreds of individual power outages," he said.


In this situation, Seattle residents should prepare for longer waits to get their power back up. During the 2006 "Hanukkah-Eve" storm, Thomsen told The Stranger it took up to nine days for some neighborhoods to get electricity again. City Light's first priority is to remove downed power lines that pose a danger to residents and ensuring emergency services such as hospitals have power, he said.

Thomsen's suggestion: Assemble an emergency preparedness kit. This should include food and water for at least three days, a blanket, a battery-operated or hand-cranked flashlight and radio, and warm clothing.

"If you have a backup generator, make sure you keep it outside. Same goes for barbecues. If you bring those inside, you could have carbon monoxide buildup — it's invisible and you won't know until it's too late," Thomsen said.

City Light shared some other tips in their live Periscope session:



More storm safety guides and checklists, which are available in a number of languages, can be found here.

Here's a handy infographic for how to stock your car in case of road closures:


It might seem like a no-brainer, but it bears repeating: Take it slow on the road.


When in doubt, turn to the Charles Mudede Guide™...


UPDATE 4:50 PM: The King County Flood Control District is also offering up free sandbags to folks living near streams or rivers to prevent flooding. Find out more about the program here.