Stormy Weather in Washington Kills Two on the Road
Hannah DeWitt
· 3 min read
With the arrival of autumn has come colder, stormier weather. But for Washington and the
Pacific Northwest
, this fall’s weather has been even worse than normal. Heavy wind and rain was reported in recent weeks, and these stormy conditions have already proved fatal.According to the
Seattle Times
, high winds caused a tree to fall into a roadway, crushing a car and killing its two passengers. Accidents like this may become more and more frequent as climate change continues to affect weather patterns and increase the danger of certain driving conditions.
Dangerous weather kills two on the road
The accident occurred on October 24 in Fall City, a small town just over 40 minutes east of Seattle. The sedan had been driving along Preston-Fall City Road Southeast when the tree collapsed and fell onto the car, killing the two passengers inside.
The road in question is densely forested and full of tight turns, and with the weather as bad as it was, it would’ve been difficult to see. Western Washington’s usually mild weather was replaced by intense storms like this one for almost a week.
Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds
No spam · No long forms · No fees
Stormy weather creates perilous driving conditions
MORE: Washington Woman Tragically Killed in Apparent Road Rage Incident
This storm left thousands of Washingtonians without power, both in Seattle’s King County and much of the surrounding areas. Storms in tree-dense areas like Western Washington can make the many wooded and windy roadways very dangerous.
Trees will often fall into the street or power lines, creating dangerous obstructions in the road. These blockages can be easy to crash into on wooded backroads with frequent turns, especially in such low-visibility weather. Storm clouds obscure light and make it harder to see the road.
The heavy rain can also cause the river systems to flood, damaging homes and cars. There has been an increase in weather-related car crashes in recent years as the effects of climate changes have become more extreme.
How is climate change affecting yearly car crashes numbers?
MORE: Utah Sandstorm Obscures Vision, Leading to 22-Car Pileup and 8 Deaths
Our team at Jerry conducted a study on weather-related crashes from 2005-2019 using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). According to our data, over the last 14 years, weather-related crashes have increased yearly by an average of 397 incidents. This is a 72% increase from 2005-2019.
The study also compared the number of crashes in specific weather conditions, such as clouds, rain, fog, and wind. Jerry found that cloudiness saw the highest increase in the number of crashes it caused. This makes cloudy weather the number one cause of weather-related car crashes.
Mist rain was second behind cloudiness. Due to climate change, the amount of time we spend driving in these conditions will likely continue to increase.
The roads are dangerous, which means drivers need good car insurance. If you are curious about your policy or are looking to switch,
Jerry
can help. Jerry is the easiest and most effective way to find a car insurance policy that is customized for you.After providing you with a comprehensive cross-analysis of the best policies across providers, Jerry will handle the phone calls, paperwork, and renewals for your top pick so that you don’t have to. They can even help cancel your old policy.
