Sean C. Morgan
Power was reconnected for most of 1,400 homes in the Lebanon-Sweet Home area by Friday morning following New Year’s Day’s snowstorm.
By Friday afternoon, only about 100 were out of power, and those were fixed by Friday night, Pacific Power Spokesman Jon Coney said. Crews repaired some equipment damaged by the storm over the weekend. The equipment damage did not affect any customers.
A press release from Pacific Power showed 330 of those outages on Friday were in the Sweet Home and Cascadia area.
Pacific Power crews were on the tail end of restoration efforts in northern California and western and southern Oregon when the next storm hit knocking out power to some 27,135 customers. Nearly 25,000 of those were in Coos Bay.
The second winter storm of the week, which hit on New Year’s Day, brought snow, winds and freezing conditions to the region and further hampered Pacific Power’s restoration efforts.
For Consumer’s Power ,which has several hundred customers in the Sweet Home area, mostly north of the city limits, power outages were initially contained to the Philomath-Monmouth areas last week.
On New Year’s Day, with more snow falling, Consumers Power was still under pressure getting power restored in those areas, Mary Zimmerman of Consumers Power said. Other companies helped Consumers when it snowed again and Lebanon-Sweet Home customers started reporting outages.
Most of those were fixed by Friday night, Zimmerman said. By Monday, Consumers had five to 10 outages in its entire system, mostly around the Detroit area.
Consumers has about 20,000 customers in six counties, including about 7,200 in Linn County.
Monday, Pacific Power was “braced for the weather coming,” Coney said. Crews were rested up and ready to go another round.
Freezing rain was anticipated some time Tuesday.
Freezing rain is similar to wet snow in that it weighs down tree branches, which break and fall on power lines, Coney said. “Freezing rain is kind of the worst thing in terms of power lines.”
Freezing rain can accumulate on the lines making them heavy and brittle then snapping them.
“were just going to have to kind of wait and see what happens,” Coney said. “We re going to watch this one really closely.”
Coney asks that customers be patient as crews restore lost power.
Especially around Sweet Home, with rugged terrain, it can take time to track down the cause of a power outage then to fix it, Coney said. “It’s always frustrating to everyone involved.”
Pacific Power wants to restore power quickly but safely, Coney said, and there’s “a lot that goes into getting these things fixed.”
Coney recommends that residents be prepared at home for a power outage with emergency kids.
Pacific Power offers the following safety tips:
— Stay away from downed lines and trees in the power lines. Report outages and dangerous conditions to Pacific Power at (877) 548-3768 (877-LITES-OUT).
— Do not try to extract branches from power lines.
— Exercise extreme caution when using candles or other open flames for light or heat inside homes and apartments. Do not use stoves, heaters or other combustion appliances inside that are designed for use outside. Do not use natural gas stoves and ovens for space heating purposes designed for use outside. Exercise caution when using wood-burning stoves and fireplaces.
— Keep flashlights, a battery-operated radio, extra batteries, water, non-perishable food items, extra blankets or clothes and a cellular phone handy in case of a power outage.
— Turn off lights and appliances in your home to reduce system demand when power initially comes back on.
— For extended outages, keep your refrigerator and freezer closed as much as possible. If you are concerned about food spoilage, consider moving perishable food outside or into an unheated garage.
— Check on elderly or infirm neighbors and relatives who might be in need during an outage.
— To report emergency situations, dial 911.
Generator Safety
Please use generators with caution since generators can pose serious safety hazards when improperly used or installed. Remember to always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
— Never plug your generator into an outlet and don’t connect a generator directly to your home’s main fuse box or circuit panel.
–If you must provide temporary power to your home’s wiring system, the generator must be connected through an approved transfer switch that will isolate your house from our system. The switch must comply with the National Electric Code and local building codes. These include permits, inspection and installation by a licensed electrician.
— To temporarily power an appliance, plug it directly into the generator.
— Use properly sized and grounded extension cords and keep cords hidden so they don’t present a tripping hazard.
— Always properly ventilate a portable generator. Gasoline-powered generators produce carbon monoxide, and the fumes can be deadly.
— Make sure that the total electric load on your generator won’t exceed the generator’s rating.