A wind storm Thursday is knocking down trees, poles and power lines throughout Skagit County.
Wind speeds in some areas in Western Washington reached into the 70 mph range, according to the National Weather Service's Seattle office.
At about 3 p.m., the weather service reported wind gusts had peaked and that lighter winds are expected for the evening.
Earlier in the day, wind gusts in Skagit County appeared to reach 59 mph in the Bow area, according to weather service data.
"If you don't have to go out, please stay put and prepare for power outages," weather service senior meteorologist Courtney Obergfell said in a 12:20 p.m. video update about the storm.
The Skagit County Department of Emergency Management is asking that residents report power outages to Puget Sound Energy and downed wires and trees to 911.
Doug ten Hoopen, director of emergency management, said all fire departments and fire districts responded to calls and Skagit 911 had extra staff helping handle the influx of emergency reports.