The National Weather Service has advised Western Washington, including the Northshore area, to prepare for a series of storms expected to hit the region by Wednesday evening and last through the weekend. The storm system is expected to cause powerful winds and heavy rains. Widespread tree damage and power outages are anticipated.

The first of the storms will arrive late Wednesday night and into Thursday. Heavy rains will hit the Washington coast and then be pushed inland. Strong winds are expected along the coast and through the Northwest interior.

The second of the three storms is expected to impact Western Washington late Thursday and into Friday. Heavy rains and wind gusts of up to 40-50 mph are expected. The Southwest Washington coast may experience gusts of wind up to 65-75 mph.

The third storm in the series, expected Saturday, could be the most powerful. It is part of a strong system associated with Typhoon Songda and is expected to bring heavy rain and powerful, damaging winds for all of Western Washington.

King County urges residents to register for regional public alerts at www.kingcounty.gov/ALERTkingcounty and to frequently check the regional emergency news blog at www.kcemergency.com for a centralized hub of up-to-date information.