Portland General Electric makes progress on restoring outages as they prep for freezing rain
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — As thousands of people remain without power around the metro area, Portland General Electric provided an update on what they’re describing as significant progress on restoring service for many.
PGE said the peak of the outages on Saturday saw more than 160,000 customers without power. After significant progress was made Sunday, that total is down to roughly 54,000 as of Monday afternoon.
Pacific Power customers still have about 6,600 without power across Oregon, too. Clark Public Utilities in Southwest Washington also reported 385 customers without power.
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Though restoration efforts are continuing across the region, PGE said the most severe damage was on the east side.
Customers who have an estimated restoration time of 10 p.m. Monday have already been assigned a crew, officials said. Those with an estimated restoration time of 10 p.m. Tuesday indicate the area may take additional time to clear downed trees or require lengthier repairs.
Sheila Burgos, a resident of Portland’s Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighborhood, said she’s been without power for three days and has been resorting to using her car to keep her kids warm.
“The house was still warm for us until it hit Sunday morning but then it was cold and I have a baby that gets sick with pneumonia,” Burgos said. “I hope we get electricity soon.”
Bob McMillan, another Portland neighbor, said he tried heating his home with a generator but ran out of gas.
“I was looking right out the window — I seen that tree come down and that was it,” McMillan said. “Power went out right then.”
John Farmer, a spokesperson for PGE, said they’ve had 850 distribution lines that came down and that many downed trees slowed their progress with hazardous conditions.
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“These are powerlines that are wrapped around trees and branches that have to be disentangled and pulled apart. So there’s a lot of challenging situations out there when it comes to these power restoration efforts,” Farmer said.
Even as PGE says they’ve made significant progress, they’re already gearing up for the next round of winter weather on Tuesday in the form of freezing rain. They have 1,400 staffers on duty, moving as fast as safety allows and extra help from crews in the surrounding states of California, Idaho and Washington.
Burgos acknowledged the crews going out into the harsh conditions to get the lights turned back on.
“It’s a lot of work for them, especially for their health. We really appreciate them and what they’re doing.”
Luckily, Burgos was able to shout and clap in celebration as her home once again became illuminated with electricity.
“We got our lights — woo hoo!”
Though power has been restored for some, the freezing rain conditions for Tuesday are expected to knock out the electricity for yet more PGE customers. However, the company says they’re fully staffed and ready to respond to the conditions.
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