The Latest: Tornado warnings in Northwest, messy commute

SEATTLE – The Latest on a powerful storm in the Pacific Northwest (all times local):

8:45 a.m.

The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for southwest Washington and northwest Oregon.

The warnings issued early Friday were in response to a strong thunderstorm that moved through the area. The National Weather Service said there were reports of tornado damage in Manzanita, Oregon, on the coast. No other information was immediately available.

The heavy rain created dangerous conditions for the morning commute, as drivers tried to see out rain-pounded windshields and navigate through standing water on the roads.

Several school districts across the region delayed start times because of the weather.

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6:48 a.m.

Strong winds and heavy rain walloped the Pacific Northwest, leaving thousands without power as utility crews prepare for what's expected to be a rougher storm on Saturday.

In Oregon, Portland General Electric reported that more than 4,000 customers were without power at 5 a.m. Friday. Pacific Power reported that 2,800 customers in coastal communities had no lights, down from a peak of more than 15,000.

Portland had the rainiest Oct. 13 in its history. The National Weather Service says a 103-mph wind gust was recorded at Cape Meares.

In Washington, Puget Sound Energy responded to scattered outages, reporting early Friday that more than 2,800 customers were still affected. Lightning strikes hit the southwest Washington coast Friday morning, and a tornado warning was briefly in effect for Pacific County.

Meteorologists expect a breezy Friday before the remnants of a typhoon hit the region Saturday. Forecasters say wind gusts as high as 70 mph could sweep through Seattle.