Massachusetts Woman Stranded in Olympic National Park After Storm

A Massachusetts woman and her friend spent nearly 24 hours trapped in a vehicle after severe weather and fallen trees blocked the roadway in Olympic National Park, NewsCenter 5 reported.

Kathleen Hart, a Boston native who recently moved to the West Coast, was among a dozen people stranded during a violent storm in Washington State. The group was forced to hunker down in a parking lot as lightning and thunder intensified around them.

Several people stranded in Olympic National Park for 20+ hours due to weather, down trees

The ordeal began when Hart and her friend attempted to leave the park following a weekend of hiking. They encountered a roadway blocked by large downed trees, prompting them to turn back toward the visitor center.

The situation escalated when a second massive tree fell, leaving the women’s vehicle stuck in the roadway between the two obstructions. To avoid being hit by further falling debris, Hart and her friend sought refuge in an open parking lot where several other vehicles had already gathered.

“We were just trying to find a place to not get hit by a tree that was falling,” Hart told ABC affiliate KOMO. She said the thunder and lightning made the situation more frightening during the night.

As the storm worsened, the group realized they would not be rescued immediately. Hart said they had anticipated that law enforcement or park officials would address the issue on Saturday night, but the wait continued into Sunday.

Talk about long sleepless night. Hikers & campers stranded in Olympic National Park overnight worried about more blowdown after Saturday night Wind Storm, downed trees, blocking way out. NPS: 5 vehicles w campers/hikers impacted. @clairecweber w the story at 11pm on @komonews pic.twitter.com/q9IFHkUfG5

— Post by @MichelleKOMO on X

When the group attempted to call 911, Hart’s mother, Michele, said they were informed that rescue efforts for stranded individuals would be the responsibility of the park rangers.

The group of stranded hikers faced dwindling resources as the hours passed. They had to manage limited amounts of food and water, working together to ration their supplies among the dozen people caught in the storm.

Cars wait to pay admission fees entrance olympic national park olympic np washington usa june cars wait to pay admission

“People here are so lovely, like everyone has been such good sports and looking out for each other. This whole time, I’m just really grateful for that,” Hart said.

The group remained stuck in the parking lot throughout the night, enduring the violent weather from inside their cars. They were finally able to make it out of the park late Sunday afternoon.

Hart expressed her gratitude to the individuals who assisted in their eventual exit from the national park.