A windstorm hit Whidbey Island on Saturday and caused the second major power outage of the winter storm season.

This time, the outages hit the entire island and lasted all day for many and days for others.

While this type of windstorm is not uncommon this time of year, Whidbey Island was ground zero, getting the brunt, said Dustin Guy, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Over 60 Puget Sound Energy customers’ power came back on Monday afternoon, almost two days after the rest of the island.

Crews responded to about 100 outages on the island Saturday, impacting about 40,000 people, said Tracy Gerald, Puget Sound Energy’s media engagement manager. Responders spent the weekend opening local storm bases and moving trees that had hit powerlines.

The low-pressure system moved to the northern and central part of Vancouver Island, Guy said, creating a “really good trajectory” into Whidbey. A 71.4 mph gust hit the island at around 8 a.m. Saturday, the strongest of the season.

To put it into perspective, Nov. 19’s bomb cyclone sent gusts of 59 mph to Whidbey.

“Nothing really stands out about that particular system at all really,” Guy said. “I mean, 71 miles an hour is certainly nothing to scoff at, but we see several systems a year that can produce winds like that.”

Saturday’s gusts are not unusual compared to annual trends, he said.

“Whidbey Island is just, due to topography, basically in the crosshairs of a couple different potential situations,” he said. “It’s not ideal if you don’t like wind.”

Commuters reported rocking ferries and blackened stoplights. Those who chose to evacuate through Deception Pass became stuck in a bottleneck with traffic backed up over five miles.

Washington Department of Transportation communications and Island County Sheriff Rick Felici confirmed that despite high winds and traffic, whipping trees and fallen powerlines, car wrecks and injuries were minimal.

While the lack of power caused some businesses to close, some were able to take advantage of the situation. Oak Harbor’s Bearly Awake Coffee Co. set up at Windjammer Park with a generator, serving customers who could do nothing but wait for the power to return.

Patrons stood in line and chatted with strangers as even cell phone service was limited, smiling and bonding over the strange Saturday collectively endured.