Atmospheric river flooding causes power outages for thousands in WA
A massive atmospheric river has drenched western Washington, flooding rivers and knocking out power for more than 30,000 homes.
As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, at least 14,124 people are without power, according to Chelan County PUD, as well as 9,393 without power according to Puget Sound Energy's outage map, 6,558 according to Peninsula Light Company, 1,014 without power according to Mason County PUD, 458 according to Snohomish County PUD, and many more agencies. This includes areas of Kitsap, Pierce, King, Snohomish and Thurston counties.
Officials with PSE said they fully expected outages heading into Wednesday's weather event. They urge their customers to have a plan if their power is knocked out, and also recommend monitoring conditions with the MyPSE app.
Washington power companies have been preparing for the atmospheric river for several days.
What they're saying:
"The biggest issue is we have one southern[…]substation out in the Des Moines area," said Gerald Tracy with PSE. "It's been out for a little over an hour[…]but otherwise, our system's holding up pretty well throughout this storm, despite all the flooding and everything."
Tracy says if your basement is flooded, do not attempt to turn off the electricity, and instead reach out to PSE directly at 1-888-225-5773. Same goes for your gas meter going underwater. If you smell natural gas in your house, Tracy says to call 911 immediately, and then call PSE.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available; check back for updates.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original coverage from FOX 13 Seattle, as well as the Puget Sound Energy outage map.