Destructive wind gusts as high as 100 mph have hit parts of Washington state, Idaho and Oregon Wednesday morning leaving nearly 600,000 customerswithout poweracross the region. At least one gust topped 100 mph just west of Moscow, Idaho, according toWeather.comsenior meteorologistJonathan Erdman
The National Weather Service in Spokane issued a severe thunderstorm warning for areas including Pullman, Washington, and Lewiston and Moscow, Idaho.Their alert warnedof a "life-threatening" and "destructive storm."
Winds at the Spokane International Airportgusted to 60 mph,and drivers throughout that city, Pullman and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, were urged to use caution during their morning commutes.
The severe winds are adding to the misery for tens of thousands of people forced out of their homes by more than a week of relentless rain and deadly flooding. Before sunrise, Washington state troopersannounced road closuresdue to downed power lines. Similar reports were also coming in from Oregon and Idaho.
(MORE:Complete Forecast For The Northwest)
On Tuesday, one man died after driving past warning signs into a flood area in Washington. Dozens of roads and critical highways have been washed out or buried by landslides.
Transportation officials in the state are begging residents not to ignore road closure signs, saying in a Facebook post, "The road is closed because it's dangerous, not because we love closing roads. If debris slides onto the highway as you ride by, if the earth under the road falls into the river, if you 'round a bend and slam into a log you didn't expect… We and our partners WILL come to your aid, but that's personnel, equipment, and resources being diverted away from the areas that need them most."
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said Tuesday that crews won't be able to fully assess the damage until the water recedes and landslide risks subside.
The state and some counties are making several million dollars available to help people pay for hotels, groceries and other necessities, pending more extensive federal assistance that Ferguson and Washington's congressional delegation expect to see approved.
According to the governor's office, first responders had conducted at least 629 rescues and 572 assisted evacuations.
As many as 100,000 people had been under evacuation orders at times, many of them in the flood plain of the Skagit River north of Seattle.
Another 2-4 inches of rain fell in the area over the last 24 hours. The Snohomish and Skagit Rivers are expected to crest for a second time later today or early Thursday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
