Pacific Power crews are working to restore 8,000 customers in Crescent City area after first wave of major storm hits region

Medford, Ore. — Pacific Power crews are working to restore electrical service to approximately 8,000 customers in Del Norte County, California.  At peak more than 15,000 Pacific Power customers were without service the afternoon of Nov. 26 due to a powerful Pacific storm resulting in high winds at the coast and heavy snow in the mountains.

“We expect outages to continue to occur through tonight and into the morning based on the current weather forecast,” said David Lucas, vice president of operations. “We are assessing damage as it is reported and are evaluating how best to deploy crews and equipment, realizing that the storm is ongoing and the full scope of the damage is unknown. We appreciate the patience we have already seen from customers, even during this holiday period, who understand that our crews are facing some very challenging weather obstacles as they work to repair the damage.”

The hardest hit area so far is Del Norte County with outages also occurring in Coos County, Josephine County, Jackson County and Siskiyou County.

As the storm and restoration continue, Pacific Power asks that residents concentrate on their own safety and comfort.

• Stay away from any downed power lines. Even if the lines are not sparking, they could be energized and extremely dangerous. Call 911 immediately and then call us toll free at 1-877-508-5088 to report. Keep everyone, including pets, out of the area.
• Never use kerosene or propane heaters inside without proper ventilation. They create dangerous fumes. Also, don't use charcoal in your house or garage. If you use a fireplace or wood stove to keep warm, pay careful attention to fire hazards.
•  Stay warm by wearing multiple layers of clothing. Add a hat and blanket for extra comfort.  Put blankets or towels around windows and doors to help keep the heat in.
• Protect your pipes during freezing weather by wrapping them with insulation. Also, leave faucets dripping so water won't freeze and crack the pipes.
• As much as possible, don’t open refrigerators and freezers -they will keep food and perishables inside cold for some time when kept closed.
• Check on your neighbors, especially those who may need special assistance. Check with others who have electricity, to see if you can visit.
• If you use a portable electric generator, please do so with caution. Remember to follow the manufacturer's instructions. Generators should be outside or in a well ventilated unoccupied space.  Never plug your generator into an outlet and don't connect a generator directly to your home's main fuse box or circuit panel. This can create a dangerous back feed hazard for line crews.

Pacific Power is in discussions with local emergency officials and the Red Cross to set up warming shelters where needed. We will post that information when it becomes final.

Customers and media representatives can also track outages of any size online. Updates will be made as new information becomes available or at least hourly at pacificpower.net/outage.