High winds wreak havoc in Whitman County

Fast winds swept across the Palouse Monday night, leaving limbs and shingles littered along city streets and cutting electrical service to thousands.

Power poles were knocked over and lines snapped all across the Inland Empire, leaving 45,000 people without electricity. By Tuesday night, Avista had restored power to all but 4,400 customers. Inland Power and Light had about 1,000 houses disconnected from power Tuesday night.

John Livingston, meteorologist-in-charge at the National Weather Service’s Spokane station, said a line of thunderstorms clashed with a strong winter cold front to intensify the winds over the Palouse.

The wind hit its peak shortly before 9 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. An automated sensor at Pullman recorded wind speeds of 85 miles per hour.

Fire crews and utility linemen were called throughout the region to tend to sparking power lines that had been snapped by fallen trees.

LaCrosse students got an unexpected day off, as the school was without power all day Tuesday. Colton school was delayed two hours.

Gusts took a particularly heavy toll in Albion, where a fallen fir hit the two-story house of Mayor Randy Crowner and other trees smashed cars.

“I always thought I was a good mayor, but I must have done something wrong,” said Crowner with a laugh.

Another fallen fir in Crowner’s front yard clipped his front porch. He said the tree falling into his house woke him up.

Another treetop fell through the roof of long-time Albion resident Joe Keeney’s house. Keeney said the tree was about 10 inches in diameter and fell through his roof, leaving a five-square-foot hole and crushing a kitchen cupboard.

Neighbors and volunteer firemen helped the former Albion fire chief clean up the mess and put a tarp over the hole in his roof.

“A bunch of fellas came over and worked on the tree and getting it out and cleaning it up, and I was real thankful for that,” said Keeney.

Both Crowner and Keeney said they have insurance that should cover the repair costs.

Andreas Sena said he didnt get any sleep as the wind whipped through his Albion yard. Sena stayed inside while several trees in his yard collapsed and broke off large branches, taking out power lines on their way down and destroying his Subaru station wagon.

At 7 a.m., community members were out with chainsaws, beginning to clear up the fallen debris.

In Colfax, the gusts took down a large tree in the south end of Schmuck Park near the vollyeball court.