“The ground was breathing,” he said.

Within 15 minutes, the two trees there crashed into Seffernick’s front yard and extended across Eighth Street near Totem Middle School.

Seffernick was one of many victims of the windstorm that thrashed North Snohomish County Nov. 17, causing downed trees, power outages, school closures and more.

Help from friends

Seffernick said he came home about 4 p.m. from work and was wondering about his trees. About four years ago two other trees actually fell on his house.

He said the wind normally comes from the south, but when it switched to coming from the west he became concerned. He had his renter move her car.

“I knew it could be bad because the trees aren’t used to it,” he said, adding if the wind would have stayed where it was the trees wouldn’t have fallen at all.

To his surprise about a dozen people coming by used a few chainsaws to get the debris off the road.

“I owe one out there, pay it forward,” said Seffernick, who has lived there 11 years.

Marysville marina

The storm also caused destruction at the Marysville marina, as two houseboats owned by the city were twisted apart. One was dismantled as the roof was blown off and tossed 50 feet away and the rest was twisted metal.

“The westerly winds grabbed them and threw them,” city Parks director Jim Ballew said.

The city was planning to clean up the area anyway.

“The wind helped us with our schedule,” he said, smiling.

Fire District

Fire Chief Martin McFalls said they received 110 weather-related calls that day.

Many were related to downed trees and power lines, but car crashes also were common as lights and traffic lights were out all over town.

Without power, many people struggled with health conditions because they were without various treatments. EMTS treated those folks at their rigs and could get them close to their prescription, McFalls said. If they couldn’t they transported them to a hospital, because the problem would just reoccur a few hours later.

He said the new countywide dispatch system has some bumps and bruises.

As for traffic, McFalls said, “It was crazy. I-5 was a parking lot.”

He said roads would be closed and people didn’t know where to go.

“There were no detour routes. It moved at a crawl,” McFalls said.

Downed trees and power outages

Power was out in many homes and businesses from Marysville to Arlington, and west to Lakewood and Tulalip. Wind blowing trees down on top of power lines was the major reason.

Trees were down on power lines Nov. 18 across the road at Norpointe Park.

Late Tuesday afternoon, a driver reported part of a tree fell on a van while his vehicle was heading south on Highway 9 near 108th Street near Marysville. The tree narrowly missed hitting him and a passenger.

“Another few inches, different outcome,” Washington State Patrol trooper Mark Francis said, adding drivers need to slow down during conditions like those.

The patrol reported 15 crashes between 7 and 11 a.m. Tuesday. It got worse when darkness hit.

“It’s getting really bad right now,” Francis said Tuesday night. “We are still prioritizing calls right now. There are so many trees coming down.”

Thousands lost power early in the day as Snohomish County Public Utility District crews rushed to restore electricity. Then a second wave of high wind hit, and by evening the PUD reported 111,000 customers without power. Those without power or who see downed lines should call PUD at 425-783-1001.

High winds continued into the evening, with rain-saturated ground creating a continuing risk of downed trees and power lines.

Public Works estimates at least 100 trees down around the city.  Several trees came down near Comeford Park. Cleanup of trees and associated debris is expected to last through the weekend

Solid Waste crews are coordinating storm debris pickup. Customers are asked to call Teri McCann to coordinate pickup at 360-363-8022. Large branches should be bundled and placed curbside for collection next week.

For details, go to www.marysvillewa.gov/763/Emergencies-and-Inclement-Weather.

Flooding

Flooding also was an issue. In Arlington, city officials were bracing for the worst late Tuesday. The National Weather Service elevated its prediction for flood severity on the Stillaguamish River from “moderate” to “major.”

“We have lost power to a number of locations around town, including the Airport Office and Fire Station 47,” city spokesman Kristin Banfield said.

“We are hearing of a few locations in town with downed trees and power lines, so we’re starting to tackle those.”

Around 2 p.m., Snohomish County Search and Rescue rescued a man, woman, a 3 year-old and an 18 month-old out of a house at the 17000 block of 117th Place NE.

The South Fork Stillaguamish River was in major flood stage with water surrounding some homes along Jordan Road between Arlington and Granite Falls.

Dunn Lumber

The lumber storage lean-to behind the building at 1410 Grove St. had stood since it was part of the Dunn Lumber facility in the early 1980s. That changed at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 17, when the windstorm tore the roof off the shed, which measured 160 by 35 feet.

Becky Randall, of the Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts, observed the roof being blown off.

“I could see the dividing walls between each section of the shed shaking back and forth before that,” said Randy Randall, her husband.

Although the Randalls have been faced with the challenge of finding a new home for Red Curtain by the end of the year, Randy counted it as a blessing that they won’t need to pay to replace the lean-to. Randall explained that ownership of the property was set to transfer from Dunn Lumber to Mutual Materials on Nov. 20, but he didn’t know which of the two would have to cover the costs of replacing the lean-to. He estimated that just demolishing it would run $10,000, while building a new shed would be at least $100,000.

School closures

Schools were closed Nov. 18 in Arlington, Lakewood and Marysville.

Cedarcrest Golf Course

About four huge trees were blown over at the course. One crashed into a roof on a maintenance building.

Safety tips

Snohomish County Public Utility District has tips to keep customers safe, prepared and comfortable this winter.

Advanced planning and preparation are key:

•Create an Emergency Kit with a three- to five-day supply of non-perishable food and water for your home and office. Also stock it with flashlights, batteries, blankets, a battery-powered radio, first aid supplies and other items.

•Make a Car Kit, too. It‚’s a smart move for travel during winter weather.

•Form a plan and practice it with your family.

•Stay informed. Know the weather approaching so you are prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws our way.

If your power goes out, choose a small room with few windows as your primary living area to stay warm. Keep your window drapes closed to keep heat from escaping. Dress warmly. Wear several layers of clothes, gloves, hat and a scarf.

Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed. The contents should be good for at least 24 hours.

Never plug a portable generator into your home wiring unless it’s equipped with a transfer switch that was installed by a licensed electrician. Your generator could be damaged or it could back feed electricity through the meter and out into the neighborhood, where it could cause a severe safety hazard to neighbors and line workers. If you need to power an appliance with a generator, plug it directly to the generator.  Also, remember to keep enough fuel on hand to power your generator through long outages.

Other tips:

•Stay away from fallen power lines. Call the PUD immediately, at 425-783-1001.

•Never use a gas stove or charcoal grill inside your home for heating. Carbon monoxide poisoning can be deadly.

•If you have special medical needs, have a backup plan.

•Stay informed, PUD staff share updates with KIRO-FM (97.3), KOMO-AM/FM (1000/97.7), KSER-FM (90.7) and KRKO-AM (1380).

Tips from the nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes

•Insulate pipes exposed to the elements with insulating foam. For as little as $1 per 6 feet of insulation, you can stop pipes from freezing and save energy.

•Place an insulating dome over outdoor faucets and spigots.

•If you are going out of town, and suspect that temperatures will drop, turn off the water to your home and open all of the taps.

•Check for air leaks around windows and doors, seal with caulk, spray foam or weather stripping.

•Volunteer to check on elderly neighbors, friends or relatives who may need assistance.

•Arrange ahead of time with family, friends or neighbors for a place to go if you have an extended outage. Text SHELTER + your ZIP code to 43362 (4FEMA) to find the nearest shelter.

•For more tips and resources for winter safety visit Flash.org.

-Reporter Kirk Boxleitner contributed to this report.