Power outages continue into second day for some in Marion, Polk counties
After thousands saw power outages across the state on Tuesday due to a winter storm, some in Marion and Polk counties are heading into their second day without power.
Consumer Power Inc., which services some rural portions of both counties, reported 3,582 outages across their service area, which also includes Linn, Lincoln, Lane and Benton counties. In Marion County, 968 customers were without power as of late Wednesday morning. In Polk County, 379 outages were reported.
Consumer Power officials did not give an estimate for when service would be restored but said they were working hard to restore power as soon as possible.
Portland General Electric, which covers Salem and surrounding towns, reported several smaller-scale outages in the city, including 45 homes without power in southeast Salem due to high winds and 10 without power near Delany Road and Interstate 5. No estimated restoration time was given.
PGE officials attributed the high number of outages to the heavy winds of Monday and Tuesday.
By 4 p.m. Tuesday, PGE reported 104,00 outages.
“These winds are blowing debris into our lines, taking down trees and damaging high-voltage transmission lines,” said Dale Goodman, PGE director of utility operations. “The sustained winds make it challenging for crews to safely work in bucket trucks and on high wires, where we are seeing the impacts of the winds on our equipment.”
More than 600 PGE personnel and contract crews were responding to the storm impacts.
"Restoration time estimates won't show on our outage map until a crew has been assigned," PGE officials said. "Crews are working 24/7."
Pacific Power, the company powering many homes in the Santiam Canyon, reported several dozen outages in Mill City, Gates, Mehama, Lyons and near Stayton. As of Wednesday morning, Pacific Power reported 396 outages across the state affecting 6,998 customers.
At the height of the storm, the company reported 49,622 customers without power. By Tuesday night, that number was down to 20,500.
At 11 a.m. Wednesday, the company reported they were down to 7,500 customers without power. Pacific Power said Wednesday around 1,000 customers in the Willamette Valley could have their power restored by midnight.
“The tireless efforts of our crews are helping customers get the lights back on,” said Allen Berreth, vice president of operations. “We appreciate their efforts and customer’s continued patience as we work against the elements to restore power as soon as possible.”
Salem Electric, which serves Keizer and West Salem, did not have any outages Wednesday morning.
Reporter Whitney Woodworth covers city hall, economic development and business for the Statesman Journal. For questions, comments and news tips, email wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Power outages continue into second day for some in Marion, Polk counties
