1.5 million homes in Wash., Oregon without electricity because of storms

[donsu]

http://home.bellsouth.net/s/editorial.dll?pnum=1&bfromind=2214&eeid=5096328&_sitecat=1522&dcatid=0&eetype=article&render=y&ac=0&ck=&ch=ne&rg=blsadstrgt


3 Dead As Storm Batters Northwest



About 1.5 million homes and businesses in Washington and Oregon had no power early Friday after howling windstorms and heavy rains caused at least three deaths, closed two major bridges and sparked flooding.

One of the concourses at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was without electricity, and an airport spokesman said some flights likely would be canceled.

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When repair crews were sent to assess damage "they've had to pull back," Thompson said. "It's just been too hairy out there."

-snip-

The Oregon Department of Transportation closed three major highways crossing the Cascade Range because of fallen trees or downed power lines, and winds gusted past 90 mph on the Oregon coast.

The National Weather Service said rainfall was expected to be as high as 8 inches on the coast and 5 inches in the Cascade Range, with snow at higher elevations.

Rain drenched Qwest Field in Seattle just before kickoff of the NFL game between the Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. The rain left standing water on the field, and about 30 minutes before kickoff, a power surge briefly knocked out the large video screens at both ends of the stadium.

Seattle public schools were closed Friday, as were numerous smaller school systems and The Evergreen State College in Olympia.
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climate change causing death and loss of money

tick, tick, tick

[Missy M]

1. My heart goes out to all those people without power.....

we had a freak storm in Western New York in October and I was without power for eight days. I was without cable for three weeks and couldn't get on the internet once my power was back, that was the hardest to take. I hope the people in the Northwest at least get their power back in a few days and suffer only minor damages.

[smitty]

2. Strangely, the weather here in SE Wisconsin is clear and

unseasonally mild. Tomorrow the forecast is for highs in the 50s, about 25 degrees above normal.

[halobeam]

3. its all so strange

I'm southeast NY and almost every lawn is PLUSH green.

[kaye45]

4. global warming?

The amount of extreme weather now is astounding! Having only recently moved to the northwest and being very ignorant about weather science, how are these wind storms caused by global warming? Are they caused by global warming?

[grasswire]

5. I think it's El Nino

A Pacific current coming up from the south causing above average rain.

[Divernan]

6. Local paper unable to publish except on line

Due to a power outage at The Seattle Times' Bothell production plant, most copies of the newspaper will not be printed today. About 13,000 copies that were printed prior to the outage are being delivered to some retail outlets in downtown Seattle and Bellevue. We apologize for the inconvenience.

The electronic version of the printed newspaper: http://activepaper.olivesoftware.com/Daily/client.asp?skin=SeattleTimes

And it is in the 50's here in Southwestern PA also. I have a pot of petunias on my back deck, tucked up against the house wall, and it has not been killed by frost and is still blooming in mid December ! ! ! The other 24 years I've lived here, the annuals would be killed by frost sometime in September.