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PORTLAND, Ore. — The PNW and Portland metro were buffeted by strong winds and stormy weather Wednesday night, and by early Thursday morning over 20,000 households were left without power due to downed lines, fallen trees, and more.
SEE ALSO: StormTracker 2 Weather Alert: High winds expected on coastline as strong storm takes shape
The National Weather Service in Portland issued a High Wind Warning that went into effect at 6 p.m. Christmas and goes until 8 a.m. Thursday. South winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts between 55 and 65 mph are expected along coastal headlands and beaches, while winds in the Willamette Valley are forecasted at 15 to 25 mph with gusts above 40 mph possible.
KATU photojournalists around the metro reported seeing multiple areas without power or otherwise damaged by the storm Thursday morning. Crews spotted a downed wire near SE 38th and Madison, and a large area around SE 151st and Powell had no electricity and no traffic lights functioning due to an outage. A fallen tree on NE Fremont & 162nd blocked a local street and snagged a power line.
According to Portland General Electric’s website, as of 5:45 a.m. there were 347 active outages across their service area, affecting over 23,000 customers.
Pacific Power reported 257 outages, with over 13,000 customers affected.
The State of Oregon website provided these power outage preparedness tips for Oregonians:
- Contact your electric utility service provider to inform them of an outage. Below is the contact information for the investor-owned utilities regulated by the PUC. If uncertain which utility serves your area, find your utility.
- Avoid downed power lines at all costs.
- Stay clear of utility crews working to restore service in your community.
- Use flashlights or battery-operated lanterns for emergency lighting. Do not use candles or other potential fire hazards.
- Turn off lights and unplug electric appliances except for the refrigerator and freezer to help avoid a surge to the system when service is restored. After turning off all the lights, turn one light on to know when power has been restored.
- Use generators safely – Do not run the generator inside the home or garage or anywhere near a window or vent, as these spaces can capture deadly levels of carbon monoxide. Learn more about proper use of a generator to avoid hazardous conditions.
- Check on elderly neighbors or individuals with special needs who might need additional assistance.
