Winds whip West

It was a dark and stormy night. And next day.

Wind advisories and warnings, and now some storm warnings, have been issued here in the West, especially along the coast, where meteorologists have warned estimated winds could reach gusts of 60-85 mph.

Our freelance cartoonist Rik Dalvit, up in Bellingham, Wash., phoned early this morning to let us know the power was already out in his area before the worst of the storm was supposed to hit.

Dalvit estimated the winds were already gusting up to 85 mph there, and described the wild ocean view he saw outside his window, with the huge ocean waves and high spray. He said he felt it was like being in a hurricane, and no wonder: Category One hurricanes have sustained winds of 74-95 mph, so his area could possibly be experiencing wind gusts in that range.

The National Weather Office has also warned that waves up to 31 feet high could be experienced along some areas of the coast between Cape Lookout and Point St. George.

Dalvit apologized that his cartoons would be later than usual because of the storm. With the power outage, his office is too dark to work in.

There are probably others who are facing similar challenges of not being able to do their jobs because of electricity failures or other wind-related problems.

If you or someone you know has been affected by the adverse weather, please let us know so we can share your story.

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