Power Restored to Most Areas After Storm Outage

Estimated restoration time for a majority of remaining customers is midnight Sunday.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Pacific Power outage restoration efforts from the weekend storms are substantially complete and the company incident command center expects to deactivate at 11:30 PM, after 62.5 hours.

A limited number of scattered and individual outages remain and crews will continue to work through the night and until all customers have power in Southern Oregon, Northern California and Southeastern Washington. At 9:00P PM Sunday, all but 1,400 customers have been restored throughout the three states, from a peak outage count of approximately 30,000 customers on Friday.

Company and contract crews continue to work around the clock to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. Pacific Power will meet its objective of near-full restoration by midnight Sunday. As restoration has progressed, customer agents have been making outbound customer calls in all areas to confirm restoration.

More than 300 crew, support, estimators and management personnel have been committed to the restoration efforts and remain on the job. Only two minor, non-recordable safety incidents involving crews have been reported.

Limited helicopter flights over transmission lines and remote areas provided some assistance today before flights were grounded by weather. Some remote areas still must be accessed on foot and by snow machine. Snow in Northern California and southern Oregon is expected to continue to be a factor as it unloads or drops from trees and power structures.

Oregon: Approximately 700 customers in remote parts of Southern Oregon are still without power. Medford itself has been fully restored, as has Butte Falls. The community of Prospect and other parts of the Rogue Valley area continue to be affected. Due to snow and terrain, these customers should continue to expect extended outages. Many of the downed lines are individual and feeder lines affecting remote locations, individuals and small clusters of customers, which must repaired one by one.

Estimated restoration time for a majority of remaining customers is midnight Sunday, with significant scattered clean-up through Monday afternoon. Crews will continue to work around the clock until all customers are restored.

California: At 9:00 PM Sunday, virtually all customers have power restored in Northern California, meeting estimated restoration times for a majority of customers by late Sunday night. There will still be clean-up of scattered outages through the night and on Monday. Crews will continue to work around the clock until all customers are restored.

Washington: The Walla Walla area has 716 customers still without power at 9:00 PM, though Pacific Power still hopes to have the majority of those restored by the end of Sunday evening. Crews will continue to work around the clock until all customers are restored.

Pacific Power crews are also alerting customers of additional problems at noted at many residences in the area. Due to the substantial tree damage in the storm, CUSTOMERS ARE URGED TO SAFELY LOOK FOR DAMAGE AT THE CONNECTION WHERE THEIR ELECTRIC LINE REACHES THEIR HOUSE. IF THERE IS ANY QUESTION, CUSTOMERS SHOULD CALL A LOCAL LICENSED ELECTRICIAN TO REPAIR THE CONNECTION. if there is damage, Pacific Power will not be able to restore power to the home or business until it is repaired.

Estimated restoration time for the Walla Walla area is Sunday evening. Crews will continue to work around the clock until all customers are restored.

Pacific Power encourages customers to continue to remain prepared for extended outages through Monday.

As utility crews work to reenergize communities, customers are asked to help ensure smooth restoration. Customers still without power can help by:

• Unplugging appliances, television and stereos and other electrical equipment around their homes. This will reduce the demand on the system as power is brought back on.

• Turning ON one porch light so crews can tell when power has been restored to particular areas.

• Visually checking their electric meter base and electricity service connection to their house. If it appears damaged, contact a certified electrician to check it and make repairs.

Some areas may not be restored right away, and crews will be going house by house to assess problems. Some damage may be the customers' responsibility to repair, which may also delay restoration.

• Candles should never be left unattended or used for extended periods. Use a flashlight or other battery-powered lighting source. • Use a fireplace or wood stove to keep warm. Pay careful attention to fire hazards. Never use kerosene or propane heaters inside without proper ventilation. They create dangerous fumes. Also, don't use charcoal in your house or garage.

• Dress warmly and in layers to insulate yourself. Don't forget to wear a hat. Blankets and towels around windows and doors help keep heat in.

• Check on your neighbors, especially those who may need special assistance. Also, check with others who may have electricity, to see if you can visit.

• Always assume downed lines are energized and deadly. Never go near them. Instead, call Pacific Power.

Report outages and downed lines immediately by calling 1-877-LITES OUT (1-877-548-3768).