Puget Sound Energy is scrambling to restore power to about 4,200 customers who have been doing without for nearly 48 hours after a powerful wind storm ripped through the Eastside.
Strong, consistent winds of up to 60 mph began causing outages in Bellevue around 8 p.m. Saturday, the storm eventually knocking out power to about 100,000 PSE customers by early Sunday morning.
“It stayed quite windy for quite long and created for many a lot of havoc,” said PSE spokesman Ray Lane.
A substantial number of fallen trees added to PSE’s workload, knocking down transmission lines and damaging several Eastside substations, Lane said.
Crews had to close Bellevue Way from 112th Avenue Southeast to just north of I-90 to install new power poles and transformers damaged Saturday night by a large fallen tree, which also caused an oil spill that needed to be cleaned up.
West Lake Sammamish Parkway also was closed — from Northup Way south to I-90 — Saturday night when a tree knocked down another power line.Transmission lines and substations needed to be repaired before crews could address the distribution lines feeding power to various Eastside neighborhoods, and many customers had their power back on when that work was completed Sunday.
PSE is now in the process of bringing power back for a remaining 4,200 customers, said Lane, adding the company understands frustrations from those who have been waiting nearly two days for restoration.
“It’s almost like a chess board as to where the crews have been dispatched,” Lane said. “If you can bring back 150 customers as opposed to a few customers, you’re probably going to bring back the greatest amount of customers first.”
PSE expects to have power restored to all customer by late tonight.
“This is the slow and tedious process,” Lane said. “It’s so methodical now, because crews are going neighborhood to neighborhood.”
PSE has received numerous calls from customers without service, but Lane said the energy company is encouraging more to call to ensure it is aware of all affected areas. Outages can be reported at 1-888-225-5773 or at pse.com/outagemap.
