Thousands without power as strong storm brings wind, heavy rain to Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore. — Tens of thousands of people across Oregon woke up to their power turned off Tuesday morning as strong winds and heavy rain from a storm continued to hit the Portland metro and the coast.

Portland General Electric reported more than 250 active outages affected over 22,700 customers, as of 7:35 a.m.

Around the same time, Pacific Power reported 422 power outages in the state, affecting more than 31,900 people.

The widespread power outages come on the heels of an ice storm that arrived to the region last Thursday and brought down trees and power lines, and left thousands of people in the dark.

RELATED: How to contact your power company in the case of an outage

Wind warnings and advisories

The National Weather Service issued a Wind Advisory for much of the Portland-Vancouver metro and the Interstate 5 corridor. The advisory remains in effect until 7 p.m. on Dec. 27. The winds could reach up to 45-55mph and the highest threat for strong south winds will be in the morning, according to KGW meteorologist Rod Hill. Salem reported south gusts nearly 50mph early Tuesday morning, Hill said.

The NWS has issued a High Wind Warning for parts of the north and central Oregon coast. The warning will also remain in effect until 7 p.m. Southwest winds gusts could blow up to 55-75mph.

Safety around downed power lines

Here are some tips from utility companies on staying safe around downed lines:

  • Always assume a power line is live and energized
  • Move at least 50 feet away (about the length of a school bus) from any downed line
  • Avoid touching the downed line with your hand or an object
  • Avoid touching anything that is in contact with a downed power line including water or metal
  • Don’t drive over a fallen power line
  • If a line falls on your car, stay in your vehicle until the line is de-energized

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