Pacific Power Logo

Pacific Power restores power to 22,300 customers in Willamette Valley, North Coast areas

PORTLAND, Ore. — Customers on Oregon’s north coast and parts of the Willamette Valley regained electric service as nearly 300 Pacific Power employees and contractors worked in freezing conditions to repair damage caused by heavy ice and snow.

As of 4 p.m. today, 17,600 customers are in the process of being restored, down from 40,000 customers at the storm’s peak. Most customers are expected to have service restored by  the evening of Monday, Feb. 15. The communities with the largest  remaining outages and estimated restoration times include:

  • Stayton/Mill City/Lyons, 7,634 customers
    • Most customers in towns will be restored by 8 p.m., Monday.
    • Heavier damaged areas outside of towns will mostly be restored by 8 p.m., Tuesday.
    • A small number of outages may extend into early Thursday.
  • Dallas/Independence,  5,469 customers
    • Most customers in towns will mostly be restored by 8 p.m., Monday.
    • Heavier damaged areas outside of town will mostly be restored by 8 p.m., Tuesday.
    • A small number of outages may extend into early Thursday.
  • Albany/Millersburg/Corvallis, 3,848 customers
    • Most Corvallis customers restored by midnight Sunday.
    • Customers in Albany and Millersburg will mostly be restored by noon Monday.
    • A small number of outages may extend into Tuesday evening.

Visit pacificpower.net/outages for a map showing current restoration estimates and this detailed map. 

“Crews are now able to focus on repair and restoration,” said Allen Berreth, vice president of operations. “We are still battling the elements, but the thaw in the valley is making the work quicker and we are losing less ground to new outages popping up. We remain grateful for the support our crews are getting in person and on social media from our customers.”

Pacific Power regional business managers are working with local emergency officials to prioritize power restoration to critical facilities in the communities affected by extended outages. “We want to do all we can to make sure water systems, wastewater treatment facilities and hospitals have power as soon as possible,” said Berreth.

Pacific Power encourages customers to report outages by calling 1-877-508-5088 or text OUT to 722797. Text STAT to 722797 to check the status of your outage.

To ease the inconvenience of power outages and assist crews in restoring power, Pacific Power suggests the following tips and safety precautions:

  • Stay away from all downed power lines and utility lines. Even if the lines are not sparking, they could be energized and extremely dangerous. Call 911 and report the outage to Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088.
  • Don’t drive over downed power lines.
  • Maintain safe distances from workers. Repair work is being done under our COVID-19 safety protocols. Waves and acknowledgement are welcome, but please allow crews to do their work at an appropriate distance both for operational and COVID-19 safety.
  • If there is damage to your service mast or weather head, where the powerline connects to your home or business, you will need to contact a licensed electrician for repairs before service can be restored. Our crews can only work on company-owned equipment.
  • Check on your neighbors, especially those who may need special assistance. Also, check with others who have electricity, to see if you can visit.
  • If you have power at this time, keep mobile devices charged so that may be used in an emergency. Before anything happens, download the Pacific Power app to your smart device so you can have information readily available.
  • Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Most food requiring refrigeration can be kept safely in a closed refrigerator for several hours. An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours.
  • Remember your pets! Pets who spend a lot of time outdoors need more food in the winter because keeping warm depletes energy.
  • If you are using alternate heat or cooking sources, remember to allow plenty of ventilation. Never burn charcoal for heating or cooking indoors.
  • If you are using a generator, make sure to follow all manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure the generator is outside and not near any household air intakes. Do not connect the generator directly to your breaker box as this can create a dangerous situation for crews working on the powerlines. Instead, plug essential appliances directly into the generator.