One Dead in Western Storms as Tree Falls on Car In Seattle

Eric Chaney
Published: March 13,2016

Seattle firefighters work to remove a fallen tree from a vehicle after the driver was killed Sunday afternoon.
(Seattle Fire Department )

A man has died after a tree fell on his car in a Seattle suburb, the Seattle Fire Department reports.
A strong frontal system moving into the Northwest and northern California is hitting the West Coast with high winds along with more heavy rain and mountain snow, impacting a swath from Washington to California. This storm is the tail end of the "Pineapple Express" parade of storms that have hammered the coast over the last two weeks.
(MORE: Strong Winds, Heavy Rain, Mountain Snow Take Aim on West Coast)
Here are the latest impacts from this system.

Washington

One person has already died as a result of high winds that are causing problems across the state.
A man died in Seward Park Sunday afternoon when a tree crushed his SUV, the Seattle Fire Department reported. A toddler also was in the car, and was taken to Harborview Medical Center with minor injuries, the department told the Seattle Times.

Firefighters work to remove a tree from a vehicle after the driver was killed near Seattle Sunday afternoon.
(Seattle Fire Department )

The death was reported at 1:37 p.m., and by the time rescue crews arrived a passer-by has pulled the young girl out of the back of the BMW X3. It took almost two hours with heavy equipment to lift the massive tree and get the victim out of the car, as high winds whipped through the park.
"Strong wind gusts, along with rain and mountain snow, are accompanying a frontal system moving into the Pacific Northwest Sunday afternoon," said weather.com meteorologist Linda Lam. "Downed trees and power lines are concerns as this system moves through the area and high wind warnings across western Washington will continue into the evening.
The National Weather Service is reporting wind gusts of 58 to 76 mph in Grey Harbor County. More than 40,000 customers in the Seattle area were without power at one point Sunday.
A Coast Guard aircrew rescued five people, including three children, who were stranded on Long Island, Washington Sunday morning.
The MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, from Air Station Astoria, landed on Long Island around noon and transferred two men and three children, who were reportedly in good condition but cold and wet, to emergency medical responders at the air station at 12:20 p.m.
The group called watchstanders at Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment, Washington, around 9 a.m. Sunday, reporting they were stranded after taking their 12-foot skiff across Willapa Bay to camp overnight Saturday and could not leave because of weather.
"This time of year, being prepared for the weather and water conditions can prevent disaster," said Lt. Daniel Cathell, one of the pilots. "Boating can be great fun, but boaters should always check the weather forecast prior to departing."

California

A California Highway Patrol officer was in serious but stable condition Sunday after being struck by an out-of-control vehicle as he provided traffic control in snowy conditions on a mountain pass, the CHP Truckee office said.
The accident Saturday led authorities to temporarily close a portion of Interstate 80 near Donner Summit, a treacherous road in the Sierra Nevada in the northeastern part of the state that has been battered by a series of winter storms.
The weather was bad enough that the officer had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance instead of by helicopter, CHP Lt. Sven Miller told the Sacramento Bee.
Water from the rain-swollen Sacramento River is spilling over a 33.5-foot-high concrete wall and into a bypass built to divert flood water.
NOAA hydrologist Robert Hartman said Sunday the overflow is expected to reach a depth of three feet on Tuesday then start receding.
It's the first time water has spilled over the so-called Fremont Weir crest and into the Yolo bypass since 2012. The nearly 2-mile-long concrete wall is located about 8 miles northeast of Woodland.
Beachgoers are warned of powerful surf along the Central and Southern California coast.
The National Weather Service said Sunday that waves up to 8 feet will pound many beaches for most of the day.
A high surf advisory is in effect in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
Meanwhile, a wind advisory has been issued for some coastal areas and in the mountains and high deserts.
Stormy rains that started Thursday prompted road closures, including a portion of California Highway 1 in Mendocino County where slides nearly toppled a California Department of Transportation dump truck with an employee inside earlier this week.
The truck hit a guardrail — stopping its fall — and landed at a 45-degree angle. No one was injured.
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