Discover why power outages are hitting Washington and Oregon hard on December 17, 2025. A powerful atmospheric river brings heavy rain and 60 mph winds, toppling trees onto power lines and affecting over 276,000 customers.
A powerful atmospheric river, dubbed a “Pineapple Express,” is sweeping through Washington and Oregon, bringing heavy rain and winds up to 60 mph that topple trees onto power lines.
This storm follows a similar event earlier this month on December 9, when a tree downed a power line, cutting electricity to nearly 2,000 customers northwest of Oregon City.
Saturated soils from weeks of rainfall are weakening tree roots, increasing the likelihood of outages as the ground can’t hold up against strong winds.
Puget Sound Energy reports over 150,000 customers affected, with the state total nearing 276,000, a number likely to rise as the storm peaks Wednesday morning.
The region’s vulnerability stems from an aging grid, with many transmission lines dating back decades and struggling to handle extreme weather.
Oregon and Washington’s push for green energy has led to plans to phase out coal and gas by 2030, but new renewable projects face delays due to insufficient transmission infrastructure.
A January 2024 winter storm exposed these weaknesses, with energy prices spiking to $1,000 per megawatt-hour as demand outstripped supply.
Flood watches are active through Thursday, with forecasters warning of more outages as rivers swell and additional trees fall.
Utility companies are prioritizing repairs in densely populated areas like Seattle and Tacoma, but rural regions may wait longer due to access challenges.
Safety officials urge residents to stay 35 feet from downed lines and report them immediately to 911 or local utilities.
Climate change is amplifying these events, with studies showing a 20% increase in atmospheric river intensity along the West Coast since the 1980s.
The National Weather Service predicts a second wave of storms this weekend, potentially prolonging the outage crisis into next week.
Local governments are activating emergency shelters with generators to support vulnerable populations, including those reliant on medical equipment.
Power restoration could take days in hard-hit areas, with utilities deploying extra crews from neighboring states to speed up efforts.
Historical data from the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome shows similar outage patterns, with over 500,000 customers affected due to grid overload.