Weather updates: Pierce County braces for power outages, closures from new storm
Another week, another atmospheric river.
While Western Washington reels from the impact of last week’s historic floods, more rain and increased winds were set to hit the area this week in a “parade” of weather systems, according to the National Weather Service.
Rain and wind began across Pierce County on Tuesday, and power was reported out to more than 2,000 people in the Bonney Lake area by midafternoon.
Rivers will continue to rise as precipitation continues throughout the week, the NWS said, bringing a risk of continued flooding as reservoirs have little storage capacity available. A flood watch in Pierce County remains in effect until Thursday afternoon.
Near the Pierce County border, the city of Pacific is under a Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation after a levee on the White River failed Tuesday morning, according to a Pacific Police Department Facebook post. The flooding impacted 220 residences, Mayor Vic Kave shared on Facebook. Displaced residents were offered shelter at the Pacific Senior Center, 100 3rd Ave. SE.
This week’s rain also means there’s a greater chance of landslides as soil dampens, the NWS said.
A high wind warning went into effect Tuesday evening, and wind speeds were expected to peak that night into Wednesday morning, the NWS said. South-southwest winds ranging from 25 to 31 mph with gusts as high as 40 mph were predicted in Tacoma.
The NWS also announced a blizzard warning for the Cascades going into effect Wednesday between 2 a.m. and noon.
Power outages
Multiple outages in Bonney Lake have left over 2,700 without power Tuesday afternoon, according to the Puget Sound Energy outage map.
Update, 7:17 p.m.: Puget Sound Energy restored power in Bonney Lake, according to the outage map.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
This story was originally published December 16, 2025 at 5:33 PM.
