Power restoration nears completion as region braces for new round of snow and wind

PORTLAND, Ore. – Less than 100 customers remain without power in the aftermath of a major snow and windstorm that hit the Pacific Northwest Feb. 22. The company expects to have the remaining customers back in service by this evening.

“Our crews and contractors worked through the night in difficult conditions to make these repairs,” said Allen Berreth, vice president of operations. “Our customers have shown a great deal of patience as we worked to get their power back on as quickly and safely as possible.”

As of 4 p.m. today, the Pacific Power meteorology team is monitoring a new weather threat headed for the area that could add more snow to a region that is only slowly digging out of what, in many locations, are record amounts of snow. The new storm, expected to hit coastal and valley regions of Oregon and northern California beginning Monday, has the potential to cause a new round of outages.

“As details about this new storm become more clear, we will be deploying crews and equipment based on these detailed forecasts to aid in any restoration efforts,” Berreth added. 

Pacific Power encourages customers to report outages by calling 1-877-508-5088 or texting 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 then report the outage to Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088. 

• Do not drive over downed power lines.

• Maintain safe distances from workers. Our crews are performing challenging work according to specific safety protocols. Waves and acknowledgement are welcome, but please maintain an appropriate distance for operational 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. Check with others who have electricity, to see if you can visit.

• If you have power at this time, keep mobile devices charged so they 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.