PORTLAND, Ore. — Nearly 100,000 people in the Portland metro area have been left without power during Saturday morning’s high winds and brutal cold.
Portland General Electric was reporting 2,273 total active outages and 96,547 customers without power as of noon.
Several thousand of those customers were centered in Beaverton, Lake Oswego, and NW Portland, although the outages were widespread throughout the entire Portland area.
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR POWER GOES OUT
With winds downing trees and knocking out power lines, here is what you need to know.
Get the latest on outages and how to report them on their websites:
According to Pacific Power, your home emergency kits should include the following:
- Water – 1 gallon per person per day
- Non-perishable food (for family members and pets)
- Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Blankets
- First aid kit with essential medications
- Manual can opener
- Solar-powered cell phone charger
- Copies of important family documents
- Cash
Special items for infants, elderly or disabled family members
If your power goes out, you should turn off or unplug electrical equipment — this will help prevent a power surge when the electricity is turned back on. Surge protectors can also help prevent power from damaging voltage-sensitive equipment.
During an outage, you should keep all refrigerator and freezer doors closed — food can stay cold in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours like this with the power out.
In widespread outages, you should also turn on a light both inside and outside of the house so crews can tell when the power is turned back on.
For reporting outages via telephone:
Portland General Electric (PGE): You can report an outage online, by text, or by phone:
(503) 464-7777 (Portland)
(503) 399-7717 (Salem)
(800) 544-1795 elsewhere
You can also get updates on an outage through PGE’s website. If you see a downed or damaged power line, stay away and immediately call one of the numbers listed above.
Pacific Power: You can sign in to your account online to report a power outage, or call 1-877-508-5088. Check up on the repair status by visiting Pacific Power’s website. Another way to report an outage is by texting “OUT” to 722797.
You can report a streetlight outage in Oregon by calling:
Portland: Call City of Portland at (503) 865-5267
Klamath Falls: (541) 883-5397
Medford: (541) 774-2600
White City: Call Jackson County Roads & Parks at (541) 774-8184
Clark Public Utilities:
If your neighborhood loses power, report the problem to CPU’s PowerLine at (360) 992-8000. It’s important to have your home information up-to-date on the company’s website to have PowerLine work at its best.