Leavenworth ‘looks Like a Hurricane Came Through,’ Cancels Weekend Christmas Events

Leavenworth Canceled Holiday Events Amid Severe Weather

The quaint Bavarian-themed town of Leavenworth in Washington State has found itself reeling from severe weather that has caused significant damage, leading to the cancellation of its cherished holiday events this weekend.

According to local resident Canuche Terranella, who is the executive director of the Wenatchee River Institute, “It looks like a hurricane came through.” The strong winds and heavy rain over several days, compounded by a powerful wind event on Wednesday, resulted in hundreds of fallen trees and widespread power outages.

“We cannot evaluate the lights until power is back on,” wrote Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce spokesperson Jessica Stoller via email. “However, we seem to be dealing with broken branches and strands (not trees), and we intend to have them back on this next weekend.”

Damage Assessment and Recovery Efforts

The town has been hit hard, with over 3,300 Chelan County PUD customers without power as of Friday morning. An estimated restoration time is set for 6 p.m., though progress has been slow due to the sheer volume of debris.

Terranella described a chaotic scene on Wednesday: “A so-called Chinook wind kicked up blustery gusts coupled with unseasonably warm air, breaking a window around 3 p.m. at the Wenatchee River Institute.” Trees and power lines were downed across the town, causing further damage.

Leavenworth resident Canuche Terranella detailed some of the most severe impacts: “A tree crushed a van in front of a rental house owned by me and another tree fell on the neighboring house. A tree also split in two a house belonging to one of the institute’s staff members.” Over a dozen trees came down on the institute’s campus, crushing an outdoor classroom and damaging a corner of the institute’s Red Barn event center.

Despite the extensive cleanup needed, Terranella expressed gratitude for the ongoing efforts. “There are trucks everywhere; it sounds a little bit like a battlefield with all the wood chippers and chain saws going, but those are sounds we are grateful for.” The strong winds also affected the city’s pedestrianized main drag, knocking over garbage cans, portable toilets, and vendors’ tents.

Recovery Challenges and Future Outlook

The recovery effort is expected to be challenging, given that removing trees on his rental house and a neighboring home took a crew all day Thursday. City Administrator Matthew Selby stated that all but one city street is now open, barring localized closures where electrical crews are working.

While the town’s famed 500,000-plus lights display will be back up soon, the holiday spirit may have taken a hit for this weekend. “It was surreal to have Christmastown blacked out,” Terranella said, describing the December warmth as “bizarre” in a town decorated for Christmas guests.

Leavenworth Reindeer Farm owner Erika Bowie echoed the sentiment: “I’m trying to process refunds and rebooking for the thousands of guests that were scheduled to visit us this week.”

The town’s riverfront parks have also been submerged, with playground equipment at Waterfront Park underwater and the bridge to Blackbird Island barely visible. Selby noted that there were no reports of flooded houses within city limits, but the wastewater treatment plant is operating at capacity due to stormwater.

As another atmospheric river approaches on Monday, residents are bracing for more potential damage. “I’ve only been here three years but I’ve spoken to people who’ve never seen the river this high and never seen a windstorm as bad as Wednesday night,” Selby said.

The business community is particularly concerned about the impact on their peak season. Leavenworth, known for its Bavarian-themed Christmas celebrations, faces a significant challenge in recovering from this unprecedented weather event.