A major storm blasted Western Washington with a one-two punch of wind and rain this week. Follow SeattlePI.com's ongoing coverage.

FRIDAY, DEC. 29, 2006

Flood victims say filters plugged drains
Filters meant to protect salmon from construction sediments and debris acted more like drain plugs during the storms of Dec. 14, some say.

Public meeting set on storm response
King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert will host the first of several meetings starting next week to receive public comment and suggestions about coordination of responses from all groups and agencies to the recent windstorm damage.

MONDAY, DEC. 25, 2006

No more passing the buck -- let's hold storm hearings
Joel Connelly: The official response to an historic windstorm: It's time to get the cold, raw facts with the public listening in.

Power to the people -- all of them
In Carnation, where some people have gone 10 days without electricity, utility crews work to bring relief before Christmas. Beleaguered homeowners just hope for the best on the eve of the holiday.

SATURDAY, DEC. 23, 2006

After the storm, the search for answers
Looking for "lessons learned" from last week's deadly wind and rain storms, the Seattle City Council called in the heads of numerous city agencies for a debriefing Friday.

Shortages catch up with City Light
A shortage of trained crews, neglected maintenance, reduced tree trimming schedules and years of deep debt has caught up with Seattle City Light.

FRIDAY, DEC. 22, 2006

City tree trimmers blasted in outages
Seattle City Light is under fire from some private firms that say the utility's approach to tree trimming contributed to the length of the power outage that left tens of thousands of people in the dark.

High volume of water, trouble calls fed tragedy
Utility crews were nearby when a deadly waterfall rose on East Madison Street last week -- but not near enough. Officials investigating the drowning of Kate Fleming blame too much rainwater and too many emergency calls.

7,000 City Light customers lose power for brief time
About 7,000 Seattle City Light customers again lost power Thursday night in Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley and around University Village.
- Power update: Who's still in the dark

THURSDAY, DEC. 21, 2006

Were utilities ready for storm?
Last week, when forecasters predicted Puget Sound's raging windstorm, many utilities got prepared. As for Seattle City Light? It sent its own crews home the day of the storm, hours before the winds peaked, only to call workers back.

Oregon's power back faster
Two Oregon utilities have more than 360,000 storm-related outages repaired while Washington customers wait.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20, 2006

For some, Christmas will be not so bright
Although many got their power back across the Puget Sound region, frustrated, powerless customers could only dream of a bright Christmas.

'Frustrated' immigrant family sticks together, wishes for normalcy
Meet the Perez family: two adults, five kids and no lights, no heat and now no water. And they wonder whether Christmas will come.

Cost of tree cleanup falls on homeowners
A neighbor's tree fell on your house, your car? You're probably stuck with the cleanup.

TUESDAY, DEC. 19, 2006

Fleming's neighbors long complained about drains
Chronically faulty storm drains on East Madison Street -- long complained about by residents -- may have led to the death of voice-over actress Kate Fleming.

Four in family die, generator suspected
December's vicious wind storm claimed four more victims Monday as several family members were found dead inside their Burien home, likely poisoned with fumes from a gas-operated generator in their garage.

Outage leaves 300 seniors without Meals on Wheels
Nearly 300 elderly clients who depend on Meals on Wheels for two meals a day in King County have not received deliveries because of the storm, program officials said Monday.

Officials urge care, caution in keeping warm during outage
As some residents throughout the Puget Sound region continue to deal with power outages, state and local experts are urging people to take steps to protect their health.

West Seattle home got hit with over 3 feet of mud
A West Seattle homeowner who had runoff from a sinkhole flood his basement and pile more than 3 feet of sand and mud against his home is still waiting for a city inspector to determine whether his home is in jeopardy.

Customers left in dark wonder why neighbors have power
Customers still without power wonder why neighbors are back up, while they remain in the dark.

Those with power thrived, those without it tanked
Last week's storm was a blessing and a bust for retailers. Hotels and some malls capitalized on power outages that sent shoppers looking for rooms and a warm place to shop. But some small businesses were really hurt.

But how well will we do when a REAL disaster hits?
Bill Virgin: How well the region handled a comparatively minor calamity tells us how well it will cope when something major hits.

MONDAY, DEC. 18, 2006

No heat, no light, but rays of hope
By Tuesday, all of Seattle should have power again, but it could be days before some in King County get their electricity back.

Sleep is a luxury for utility crews
It was one long weekend for those trying to restore power.

Storm death toll at 7
From falling trees to carbon monoxide poisoning, electrocution, fire and drowning, the windstorm brought death in a chilling variety of ways.

Actress who died was audio-book star
Kate Fleming died in her home's flooded basement after a heavy rain. As her partner screamed for help, Fleming's voice never wavered: "She never was scared. She never screamed."

SUNDAY, DEC. 17, 2006

Thousands still without power
With many homes facing a third day without power and for others seeking a little winter coziness, fireplaces were blazing around the Puget Sound this weekend.

SATURDAY, DEC. 16, 2006

Bitter cold, lack of power raise risk from carbon monoxide
With temperatures dropping and tens of thousands without power, some health experts expect a record number of carbon monoxide poisonings as people turn to makeshift heat sources.

Eastsiders try to make the best of it
Parts of Bellevue, Kirkland, Juanita and other areas remain without power on Saturday, sending residents out in search of warm rooms and hot meals.

Floods, landslides, winds, downed trees -- this was one for record books
It was fierce and fatal: Evergreens snapped like twigs. Roadways turned into rivers. Four people died and a million and a half others were left in the cold and dark. Forecasters saw it coming, even predicted aspects days in advance.

Mother's intuition saves family from certain tragedy
A North Seattle family suffers damage from a tree fall and narrowly, very narrowly, escapes a much greater tragedy.

Woman dies in flooded basement
Kate Fleming, 41, was in her basement sound room, recording digital books for her fledgling business, when a 4-foot wall of water rushed down Dewey Place East.

Halted drainpipe project continues to soak neighborhood
One of Seattle's most notorious drainpipes flooded Seattle's Madison Valley neighborhood again on Thursday night.

Clogged storm drains cause Rainier Valley flooding
Water from Thursday's downpour overwhelmed clogged storm drains along Rainier Avenue South, sending water rushing over curbs and into businesses and leaving and muddy mess to clean up Friday morning.

Grieving family's ordeal becomes tougher
Thursday's storm affected not only the living, but also the dead -- or at least those trying to honor them.

Whidbey Island residents cope without power
It could be a cold, dark weekend on Whidbey Island. Most of the island was without power Friday, and residents were preparing for the possibility of a weekend without electricity.

Recovery may take some time
Like Seattle's social culture, Northwest winters tend to be passive, predictable and non-confrontational: ceaseless drizzle with the occasional windstorm shake-up.

Damage at Yesler Terrace 'like a war zone'
Seattle's oldest public housing project, Yesler Terrace, took one of the hardest blows from Thursday's windstorm, which stripped power from about a third of its apartments and knocked down 15 of its trees.

Keeping your food safe in an extended power outage.
How can a power outage cause problems with my food?

Notable Western Washington windstorms

Power outages in the region

Tips in the event of an extended power outage

FRIDAY, DEC. 15, 2006

Wind, rain cause region havoc
The Seattle area woke up Friday morning to the effects of a devastating storm that left more than a million without power in Western Washington.
- Notable storms in Western Washington
- Streets closed in Seattle
- Streets closed in Seattle

Deadly wind, rain slam Seattle area
Fierce winds and heavy rain blasted the Seattle area Thursday night starting at the height of rush hour, causing flooding, closing freeways, knocking out power and leaving at least three people dead.

Flash flood killed Madison Valley woman
Kate Fleming was in her basement sound room, recording digital books for her fledgling business, when a four-foot wall of water rushed down.

Tree crushes crib that held baby just minutes earlier
A North Seattle family had a tree fall on their house -- but narrowly, very narrowly, escaped a much greater tragedy.

Sinkhole causes flooding in West Seattle
Runoff from a sinkhole surrounded a West Seattle home with mud and flooded the basement Friday.

A rough commute home Friday night
Traffic on all major highways was heavy due to construction, flood repairs and accidents.

THURSDAY, DEC. 14, 2006

Wind slams area, more on the way
High winds tore through Seattle Wednesday, but it may only be the storm before the storm.