8th UPDATE: Highway 112 reopened; West End power restored, all of E. Jefferson’s due back by midnight; Port Townsend ferry service back; 101 south of Brinnon reopened

Published 12:01 am Thursday, November 6, 2014

WEST END: A power outage hit 5,400 Clallam County Public Utility District customers on the windy West End at 10:58 a.m. Their power was back on by 5 p.m., PUD reported tonight.

The outage was caused by winds blowing “vegetation” into a transmission line, PUD spokesman Mike Howe said.

The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for an area including the West End that was in effect until 3 this afternoon. A similar one remains in effect until 6 p.m. in East Jefferson County as well as the San Juan Islands and other locales northeast of the Olympic Peninsula.

Official West End weather gauges were knocked out by the power outage, so we’ll never know exactly how fast the winds blew. A Weather Service spokesman said a gauge south of Sappho logged a 62 mph gust.

EAST JEFFERSON COUNTY: Jefferson County Public Utility District reported that about 3,000 customers were affected by both short and long power outages during the day. “We expect to have everyone’s power on by midnight,” said Jim Parker, PUD manager. Phone outages to the PUD at 360-385-5800.

PORT TOWNSEND FERRIES: Washington State Ferries resumed service between Port Townsend and Whidbey Island at 3:30 p.m. Four ferry runs between Port Townsend and Coupeville — the 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. sailings from Port Townsend and the 11:45 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. sailings from Coupeville — were canceled due to the winds. Reservation-holders who are unable to travel once service resumes will not be charged a no-show penalty. Information on other sailings scheduled for today is unavailable.

U.S. 101: U.S. Highway 101 is blocked in two places by fallen trees. One is along Lake Crescent near Barnes Creek about 17 miles west of Port Angeles. There was no word on when the road will be reopened at either location, although a State Patrol spokesman said the Lake Crescent and other tree fallings will keep the road closed until morning.

Highway 101 south of Brinnon, closed because of a fallen tree near the Mason County line, has been REOPENED, although crews are still working alongside the road.

STATE HIGHWAY 112: The route to Clallam Bay-Sekiu was REOPENED after a tree fell west of Joyce. Highway 112 and Burnt Mountain Road, state Highway 113, is an alternate route between Port Angeles and Forks because of the U.S. 101 blockage at Lake Crescent.

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Wind-related mayhem? Please email arice@peninsuladailynews.com (Clallam) or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com (Jefferson).