Pacific Power crews working to restore power as high winds persist

PORTLAND, Ore.  — Pacific Power has mobilized over 250 field and support personnel, including service crews from Rocky Mountain Power, to assess and repair damage caused by strong winds as high as 80 miles per hour.

As of noon today, there are approximately 27,000 customers out of power, down from the 49,622 customers at the height of the wind event. 

“We are still battling the elements, but our crews are focused on repair and restoration as the weather allows,” said Allen Berreth, vice president of operations.  “We remain grateful for the support our crews are getting in person and on social media from our customers.”

Widespread strong winds over and west of the Cascades ranging from 40 to 80 miles per hour continue to challenge the efforts of service crews. Downed trees are especially common since heavy rains have soaked through soil. Employees are working through the holidays to patrol lines and identify potential damage. Where possible, crews are already working to restore service, though the strong winds that have downed trees and lines across the service area are forecast to persist into the early evening. 

The communities with the largest remaining outages include:

• Astoria, 4,000 customers.
• Grants Pass, 5,400 customers.
• Willamette Valley, 5,200 customers. 
• Yreka, 1,300 customers. 
• Coos Bay, 4,350 customers. 

Visit PacificPower.net/Outages for a map showing current restoration estimates.

Pacific Power’s meteorologists forecast the storm will move east to Pendleton and Walla Walla this evening, potentially impacting service there. 

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. 

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 power lines. Instead, plug essential appliances directly into the generator.