Strong overnight winds caused havoc across Kitsap County as nearly 70,000 Puget Sound Energy customers were without power the morning of Feb. 25, causing schools and offices to either start late or close completely for the day.

Power outages were scattered across Kitsap, with Bainbridge Island and South Kitsap being hit hardest. Schools in SK School District, Central Kitsap School District and BI School District were closed Feb. 25, while North Kitsap School District operated on a two-hour delay, besides Suquamish Elementary which is closed for the day due to no power at the school. Olympic College’s Poulsbo campus also was on a two-hour delay.

The Kitsap County Courthouse and all Port Orchard county administrative offices were also closed Feb. 25, as were offices of the city of Port Orchard. The city of Poulsbo offices were delayed two hours, as was the City of BI. Suquamish Tribe offices were also closed for the day.

Power outages lingered on in many areas of Kitsap Feb. 26, with the most outages seen on BI and South Kitsap. Puget Sound Energy crews are working to restore power to the affected areas. SKSD schools were closed again Feb. 26 due to widespread power outages in the area. All BISD schools reopened Feb. 26, except for Blakely Elementary as the building is still without power. Similarly, all CKSD schools also reopened except for Cottonwood Elementary which had no power.

The county courthouse and administrative offices in Port Orchard are closed again Feb. 26, as is the Olympic View Transfer Station in Bremerton due to outages. The city of Port Orchard’s municipal court is also closed.