Four Killed When Storm Blows Through State Blustery Winds And Pounding Rain Snap Trees, Down Power Lines

A fierce storm that raked Washington with heavy rain and strong winds killed four people instantly Tuesday when a huge fir tree smashed their pickup truck near Bumping Lake, the Washington State Patrol said.

The tree was toppled by a storm that battered much of Eastern Washington, knocking out power and downing trees from Okanogan County in the north to the Tri-Cities in the south.

The four people were killed while driving on Bumping River Road, about 70 miles west of Yakima, in a remote, rugged region near Mount Rainier National Park.

The tree was 160 feet tall and four feet wide at the base, said Officer Rob Stevens of the Washington State Patrol.

“The wind knocked the tree over and it landed on the cab,” Stevens said. “They were dead instantly.”

The identities and hometowns of the victims were not released pending notification of relatives.

There were conflicting reports indicating the dead included two adults and two children, or three adults and one child.

In Western Washington, a funnel cloud was reported Tuesday afternoon in the Elma area west of Olympia.

Heavy rain, accompanied by gusting winds, thunder and lightning were reported throughout the day in the western half of the state.

Meanwhile, a falling tree hit a trailer in Cle Elum on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains, injuring two people.

A 45-year-old man was in satisfactory condition with an injured right arm and a fractured right ankle, and a 36-year-old woman was in satisfactory condition with a fractured pelvis, said a nursing supervisor at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Winds gusting to some 70 mph tore the roof off a lumber mill near White Swan, in the Yakima Valley, severing some power lines, said John Walmsley of Yakima County Emergency Management.

One house was destroyed by falling trees along Washington 410 in the Cliffdell area, the Weather Service said.

Thunderstorms knocked down power lines in the southern part of Okanogan County on Tuesday.

The National Weather Service reported winds gusting to 66 mph in the Brewster area.

The Weather Service reported wind gusts of 70 mph in the Ellensburg area.

One trailer home was crushed by a falling tree near Leavenworth, according to Chelan County Emergency Management.