Thousands of Oregon homes without power due to high winds

PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) - Tens of thousands of people across Oregon are without power Tuesday.

As of 9:30 p.m., Portland General Electric reported 3,512 outages impacting more than 71,115 homes across the Portland area.

Pacific Power also reported 491 power outages impacting 17,408 households, down from 39,000 households earlier, across Oregon with the biggest impact along the coast. Pacific Power said it has more than 250 crew members working to restore power, but the winds blowing at 40-80 miles per hour make it harder for crews to restore power.

These outages come as the latest of a series of outages due to strong winds, fallen trees, an ice storm and vandalism.

SEE ALSO: 3 Tacoma substations vandalized Christmas morning, 14k customers impacted, police say

A strong low-pressure system is approaching the Washington Coast, bringing pretty intense wind to our coastline. A High Wind Warning remains in effect for the coast and Coast Range through 7:00 p.m. Tuesday.

Gusts will range between 55-70+ mph, but isolated gusts of 80 mph can’t be ruled out in the windiest spots. Friday will also see strong winds in the western valleys. Downed trees and spotty power outages are to be expected.

Keep your family prepared by having phones charged, and candles, lanterns and flashlights ready.

Pacific Power recommends these additional precautions:

• Stay away from all downed power lines and utility lines. Even if the lines are not sparking, they could be energized and extremely dangerous. Call 911 and report the outage to Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088.
• Don’t drive over downed power lines.
• Check on your neighbors, especially those who may need special assistance. Also, check with others who have electricity, to see if you can visit.
• If you have power at this time, keep mobile devices charged so that may be used in an emergency.
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Most food requiring refrigeration can be kept safely in a closed refrigerator for several hours. An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours.
• Remember your pets! Pets who spend a lot of time outdoors need more food in the winter because keeping warm depletes energy.
• If you are using alternate heat or cooking sources, remember to allow plenty of ventilation. Never burn charcoal for heating or cooking indoors.
• If you are using a generator, make sure to follow all manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure the generator is outside and not near any household air intakes. Do not connect the generator directly to your breaker box as this can create a dangerous situation for crews working on the powerlines. Instead, plug essential appliances directly into the generator.

Copyright 2022 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved.