High winds wreaking havoc on South Whidbey are expected to lessen this morning, but residents should expect windy weather to continue most of the day, the National Weather Service has announced.

According to a high wind warning, south winds will blow 25 to 45 mph with gusts up to 60 mph until about 9 a.m. After that, the wind will ease to 20 to 35 mph with gusts no more than 45 mph.

The agency warned people to watch out of falling trees and limbs, and to be cautious when driving.

“Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles,” the National Weather Service said.

As of 8 a.m., there was at least one 9-1-1 report of a tree that fell on a home. Mike Cotton, deputy chief for South Whidbey Fire/EMS said it impacted the garage and was hanging over the house. There were no injuries, he said. A car was also damaged by a falling tree in a separate incident, he said. Both occurred in the Freeland area.

Most of the department’s calls, however were to Clinton in the Scatchet Head and Cultus Bay areas. Beginning around 2 a.m., district firefighters responded to slew of downed trees and power lines, and fire alarms in homes. The power flickering on and off often causes residential alarm systems to go off, he said.

“The cops are running crazy with burglary alarms,” Cotton said.

Heavy rains and rising tide were also responsible for flooding in several areas, he said. He confirmed water is running over Robinson Road and Shore Avenue in Useless Bay. Homes in both areas were affected. An earlier report of a dike breach at Deer Lagoon appears to have been inaccurate; a Record reporter walked the dike and saw no visible breach.

According to Puget Sound Energy’s online outage map, the storm knocked out power to homes and neighborhoods across the South End, from Clinton to Greenbank. Estimated restoration times remain largely “under investigation,” the website said.