US Wind Storm Kills Two And Knocks Out Power

                 SEATTLE -- A fierce wind storm swept through
                 America's Pacific Northwest, killing two people in
                 Washington state and leaving hundreds of thousands of
                 customers without power.

                 Mr Hien Nguyen, 19, of Lacey, was killed about noon
                 on Sunday when a 36-m fir tree blew down on his
                 pick-up truck, crushing the cab.

                 A 50-year-old Seattle architect died in an avalanche at
                 the Crystal Mountain ski resort, about 105 km
                 south-east of Seattle near Mt Rainier. He and another
                 skier had hiked into a closed area when the avalanche
                 struck about 1.30 pm. His identity was not released.

                 Interstate 90, running between Seattle and Spokane,
                 was shut down periodically as crews set small
                 avalanches to remove the danger of large ones.

                 Blown-down trees and branches caused most of the
                 power outages, utility officials said. -- AP

                 Gusts reach 185 kmh

                 THE weather bureau reported sustained winds of 40
                 kmh to 56 kmh.

                 The highest gusts reported by the National Weather
                 Service were 185 kmh at mid-morning at Cannon
                 Beach, Oregon.

                 Gusts of 130 kmh at Netarts, Oregon, knocked a house
                 3.5 m off its foundation.

                       Adapted from The Straits Times, 19 Jan 2000.