BY RECORD STAFF

High winds with gusts up to 50 mph caused scattered power outages on South Whidbey Monday afternoon.

“There were strong winds from the southeast recorded about 3 p.m., then shifting to westerly winds,” said forecaster Chris Burke of the National Weather Service in Seattle.

Burke said sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph were strong enough to knock off the tops of trees.

Which is exactly what happened, resulting in blackouts across Whidbey as falling trees and branches hit power lines.

“We saw scattered outages in various parts of the island,” said Puget Sound Energy spokesman Joe Harris.

The most serious outage was on Brooks Hill Road, which affected the Bayview area on Monday afternoon.

“Outages ranged from a few minutes to several hours but less than 100 residents were involved,” he added.

Power was completely restored by early Tuesday morning.

No injuries were reported, but falling trees caused a few scares on the South End.

Jim Young and his wife were driving home on Scatchet Head Road when the top of a tree slammed into his Ford truck’s windshield.

“It went right through the windshield above the dash,” Young said. “We were coated with glass fragments but no one was hurt. Scared us, though.”