COMPANY NEWS JANUARY 2019 BE PREPARED FOR OUTAGES None of us will forget the monster storm in January 2012 where snow and ice blanketed Western Washington. Plunging temperatures and freezing rain encased roads in ice up to a half inch thick so bad Governor Gregoire declared a state of emergency in Washington. And as if that wasn t enough we were hit by high winds a few days later. With weather being so unpredictable we hope all of our customers are prepared for the worse just in case. Let s start with the basic restoration protocol. When an outage first occurs we do not immediately know what caused the outage nor have the ability to predict when a specific customer s power will be restored. Basic Restoration Protocol: The first goal of any damage related outage is to find the cause and then ensure that the site of the damage is safe and secure (not to be confused with repaired ). After securing and assessing the scene, effort is then made to restore power to the greatest number of customer s as possible. This is accomplished by our line workers performing a complex set of switching orders isolating the outage to as small an area as possible. This is done prior to the damage being repaired. After the outage area is minimized, repairs at the site of the damage are made. The protocol for large storm related outages is more complicated. Four of our substations have four feeders extending into our service territory, and our Grazzini substation has three. After a major storm event, repairing and energizing feeders is the highest priority as significant volumes of people are without power when a feeder is offline. Once the feeders are repaired and energized we direct our attention to distribution laterals. Which distribution lateral to be repaired generally coincides with the highest number of consumers out of power on any particular lateral. The last parts of our system to be repaired are secondary services. These are the lines from the transformer to individual homes or businesses. Basic restoration protocol is to energize the largest part of our service territory first then work towards individual service repairs. BEFORE CALLING IN AN OUTAGE Check to see if your circuit panel or fuse box has tripped a breaker or blown a fuse. If it has tripped, reset the breaker or replace the fuse. If possible check with your neighbors to see if they have power. The outage could be a larger issue or it could be isolated to your house. FACEBOOK AND TWITTER Social media can be a great source of information during outages. Especially during a large outage when phone calls are high, please check Facebook and/or Twitter. Remember, they are for outgoing information only. Do not post questions, comments, or report outages on the sites.
OUTAGE THINGS TO KNOW Our toll free outage reporting number is 1-855-841-2178. Our main number, 253-531-4646, will still be active 24/7 but we ask that all outage reporting calls be made to the toll free number. When calling, please be accurate and expedite the conversation. We will ask for the last and first name the account is under, verify the address, and enter any necessary information into our new database that connects with our call center. IF you heard/saw anything that might be pertinent to the outage (ex: loud explosion, tree down, limb on line, car/pole accident, fire, dimming lights, neighbors out too, etc.) make sure you let us know that too. The faster we gather accurate information the faster we can restore power. MY LIGHTS KEEP FLICKERING/BLINKING The power lines that serve your home have a variety of protective devices designed to keep your power on during storms and other severe weather. There are several reasons but the most common is tree movement. Despite our best efforts to keep trees trimmed near our lines, strong winds can cause those trees to make contact with our wires. When this happens your lights may dim or you might lose power for a few seconds. I ONLY HAVE ELECTRICITY IN PART OF MY HOUSE You could have a tripped circuit breaker or blown fuse in your home s electric panel, resulting in partial service. If so, reset the breaker. You might also have a broken connector or wire at one of the service leads to your house. In that case call us right away. WHY IS MY POWER OUT AGAIN WHEN IT WAS PREVIOUSLY RESTORED? The demand for electricity at the time of restoration is high. The cold load amperage on power lines often exceeds the fuse rating and the fuses blow. This causes the utility to down size the area of restoration and attempt to restore the power again. WHAT WAS THAT LOUD NOISE I HEARD OUTSIDE WHEN MY POWER WENT OUT? Many people think that the loud noise was the sound of a transformer exploding. This was probably not the case the noise could have been a cutout fuse blowing. These fuses protect parts of our distribution system when an electrical fault occurs. If a tree falls into a line, lightning strikes or something other takes place, the fuse can blow to isolate the trouble and prevent surges from reaching other customer s on our system.
MY POWER IS OFF AND MY NEIGHBORS IS ON You may be on a different feeder, line, or circuit or it could be internally in your house. Check the breakers and fuses. THE POLE TOP IS BURNING A cracked or faulty insulator will cause an outage and many times may cause the pole top to burn due to the severity of arcing. THE WEATHER IS BEAUTIFUL; WHY IS MY POWER OUT? There are many things that can cause a power outage at any time. It could be that a car accident has taken out the power lines in your neighborhood, or it's some other man-made problem. It could be an animal shorting out the power lines. THERE IS A FALLEN POWER LINE IN THE ROAD Do not touch a fallen line, drive over it, or if a fallen line is on an object such as a fence, do not touch that object. Power lines carry electricity which can cause serious bodily injury or death. It is impossible to tell whether a fallen line is energized, so stay as far away as possible, keep children and pets away, and call us immediately! ELMHURST SAYS MY SERVICE EQUIPMENT IS DAMAGED. WHY CAN T THEY RESORE POWER ANYWAY? We require repairs to damaged service equipment be made before power can be safely restored. This is the customer s responsibility. Only a licensed electrical contractor should attempt the work, and an electrical permit will be required. Labor and Industries must inspect then approve the repair before power can be restored. HOW CAN THE POWER GO OUT ON UNDERGROUND LINES? Even if your lines are buried, the transmission lines that lead to our substations are overhead, and can therefore be damaged by the weather. Also, underground lines can be damaged by rocks and tree roots, or accidentally cut by someone who didn t call before digging. ONE OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS REQUIRES LIFE SUPPORT HOME MEDICAL MACHINES. WHAT CAN I DO? Let Elmhurst know so we can contact you in the event of a planned outage. Always have a backup plan since Mother Nature or other events can cause an outage at any time. Organize a support team family, friends, co-workers, church members, or other people
in the close proximity that can lend a hand. Make arrangements before the outage to relocate to a place where those needs can be met. Have a generator. Have a backup tank of oxygen. Have extra batteries. Just in case. AS A CUSTOMER WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO HELP? Turn off all appliances, computers, TVs, air conditioning and heating units, and lights. When power is restored turn items on one at a time. Heavy demand when we are trying to restore power can possibly cause a second outage. If your neighbor s power comes back on but yours does not, please call us again. The problem could be isolated to your house. Turn your porch light and one inside light on so you and crews will know when your service is restored. Use generators properly. Improperly installed generators can seriously injure our crews! NEVER plug your portable or auxiliary generators into a wall outlet. The electricity generated by a generator can ruin your home s wiring and start a fire! Portable generators are gasoline powered and should always be placed in a well ventilated area. FOOD SAFETY DURING A POWER OUTAGE Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. First use perishable food from the refrigerator. An unopened refrigerator will keep foods cold for about 4 hours. Then use food from the freezer. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed. Use your non-perishable foods and staples after using food from the refrigerator and freezer. If it looks like the power outage will continue beyond a day, prepare a cooler with ice for your freezer items. FOOD SAFETY AFTER AN OUTAGE Throw away any food that has been exposed to temperatures higher than 40 F (4 C) for 2 hours or more, or that has an unusual odor, color or texture. When in doubt, throw it out! Never taste food or rely on appearance or odor to determine its safety. Some foods may look and smell fine, but if they have been at room temperature too long, bacteria causing food-borne illnesses can start growing quickly. Some types of bacteria produce toxins that cannot be destroyed by cooking. If food in the freezer is colder than 40 F and has ice crystals on it, you can refreeze it. If you are not sure food is cold enough, take its temperature with a food thermometer. Throw out any foods (meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers) that have been exposed to temperatures higher than 40 F (4 C) for 2 hours or more, and any food that has an unusual odor, color or texture, or feels warm to touch.
Again, most of all, be prepared for any emergency! Have an emergency plan that includes a disaster supply kit. Below are some tips from the American Red Cross to help you do just that. Another good source is the Emergency Management website that can be found at www.emd.wa.gov.