More than 300K lose power in Wash. wind storm

(Update: More outages; winds have peaked)

SEATTLE (AP) – The National Weather Service in Seattle says strong winds that took down trees and power lines, blew over shipping containers and tore off part of a clock tower exterior have peaked throughout western Washington.

The Weather Service says winds will remain gusty through the evening Thursday but will not be as strong as in the morning and early afternoon, when gusts reached 74 mph along the coast in La Push, near 60 mph inland and 117 mph at Mount Baker.

Trees took out power lines, smashed cars and landed on rooftops in western Washington, closing roads, bridges and some schools. No serious injuries were reported.

KOMO-TV reports more than 300,000 households and businesses lost power Thursday.

The Washington Department of Transportation reported at one point that power lines were fully blocking southbound Interstate 5 near Burlington.

Washington State Patrol Trooper Chelsea Hodgson said on Twitter that a trampoline was trapped between power lines around Grays Harbor.