Weather update: Heavy rains and strong wind gusts expected for the rest of Thursday

Heavy rain, wind gusts up to 45 mph, and ongoing flood risks are forecast for Southwest Washington as utilities continue restoring power after earlier storm damage.
Branches littered neighborhood streets after a big windstorm this week. The forecast calls for gusts up to 45 mph and heavy rain through Thursday night, Dec. 18. Photo by Paul Valencia

The National Weather Service reports that the wind will not be as severe as the storm that hit Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, but be prepared for gusts up to 45 mph as well as heavy rain throughout the rest of the day and night Thursday

Paul Valencia
Clark County Today

Area schools were back in class on Thursday, a day after that fierce windstorm caused power outages and road closures, leading to many districts to shut down schools for a day.

Reports say a little more than 100,000 Clark Public Utilities customers were affected by outages from early Wednesday morning through Thursday. Most customers had their power restored on Wednesday.

As if 11:45 a.m. Thursday, Clark Public Utilities is reporting less than 2,000 customers are without power, in areas such as Vancouver, Camas, Ridgefield, north and east Clark County. More than 4,300 customers recently had their power restored.

In the meantime, heavy rain is forecast for the rest of Thursday. The region could get as much as 2 to 3 inches of precipitation on Thursday, which would break a daily record.

While the winds might not be as strong as Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service (NWS) does have a wind advisory for Southwest Washington through 7 p.m. Thursday, with gusts up to 45 mph.

The NWS also has a flood potential advisory through the weekend. Beware of landslides in areas of steep terrain. Beyond rivers, flooding can occur in urban and low-lying areas, the NWS warns, and creeks and streams.

The City of Camas posted on social media that NW Lake Road was reopened Thursday morning. Portions of SE Crown Road (SE Strong through NE 3rd Ave) were still closed Thursday morning. 

Other municipalities and law enforcement agencies that posted updates on the severity of the windstorm on Wednesday have not posted about the storm, nor its aftermath, on Thursday by 11:45 a.m. The Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency also has no new posts regarding the storm Thursday morning.

No news is good news, it seems.

Still, residents of Southwest Washington should be prepared for heavy rain for the rest of Thursday with strong winds.


Also read:

Receive comment notifications
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x