Western WA power companies prepare for windy night

WA power companies prepare for windy night

Utility crews in western Washington are preparing for strong winds overnight, and the many customers who could be left in the dark Tuesday morning.

TACOMA, Wash. - Tacoma Power says the entire service area could be in the path of strong winds overnight.

What they're saying:

Both PSE and officials at Tacoma Power say they have crews on standby and equipment ready if the power goes out.

"We will work round the clock until everyone has their power restored," said Melanie Coon, Media Team Leader, Puget Sound Energy (PSE).

While Coon says this latest round of wind isn’t expected to be as devastating as November’s bomb cyclone, it could still pack a punch.

"We ask people to have an emergency kit, to make sure they have supplies on hand," said Coon. "Flashlights, batteries. Have they replaced the batteries since the storm? During the bomb cyclone, what have you done since that last storm?"

Coon says crews always tackle preventive maintenance to prepare in advance.

"They are trimming trees, they are cutting back vegetation, they are inspecting the lines," said Coon.

She says trucks are also gassed up and ready to deploy overnight.

"Another thing we do is calling out additional help, additional crews in case it is a big storm, and we have to call crews from other, other contract crews from other companies," said Coon.

The PSE team is also monitoring the forecast carefully.

"Looking at the southwest interior, which is Thurston County, Kitsap, Bremerton, Silverdale area. That is supposed to get some higher winds in this storm," says PSE.

Tacoma Power has also been prepping its crews.

"They are ready to engage. Our trucks are ready. We have our equipment and our materials ready. If we do experience outages, we do have people to respond," said Jim Boyd, Tacoma Power, Electric Operations Safety Manager.

Boyd says because of recent rains, there is the potential for trees to topple in addition to branches coming down.

"Some of the trees don’t have very deep roots because of the large amount of moisture that we get in this area. In high winds, as opposed to tree limbs breaking off, occasionally trees will uproot and go over," said Boyd.

What you can do:

Here are some tips from Pemco Insurance and the power companies for safeguarding your home:

Secure outdoor Items, like patio furniture
Generator Safety; do not place in a garage or near entrances to your home to prevent carbon monoxide risks
Unplug sensitive electronics such as computers and TVs that can be damaged in power surges
Charge devices
Replace flashlight batteries
Fill up your car in case of an outage at nearby gas stations

The Source: Information in this story is from Puget Sound Energy, Tacoma Power and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.