Seattle Prepares for Big Storm Today

Seattle City Light crews are ready to respond if the high winds and heavy rains predicted to last through the night and until 10:00 a.m.  Wednesday, January 7, cause any outages.
"Our crews are ready to respond if the weather system ends up causing any outages," says City Light Superintendent Jorge Carrasco.  "We are prepared for the possibility of outages occurring throughout our service territory and we can have back-up help available to us quickly if the predicted heavy rains and saturated soil result in significant wind damage.  Heavy wind and rain can bring down whole trees onto power lines." 
The Customer Service Call Center will remain open this evening until 8:00 p.m.  If it appears that the storm coming in is causing extensive damage, the Call Center hours will be extended.
City Light reminds customers to be safe.  Downed lines can be dangerous.  Also, City Light urges customers to be prepared for any possible outages.  Here's what customers can do if they experience a power outage:

* Do not get near any downed wire.  An individual should always assume a downed wire is "live" and dangerous. If someone seeks a downed wire, they should call (206) 706-0051;
* Do not use a barbecue grill or generator inside the house or in a garage that is attached to the house. Do not use a grill or generator near a home air intake vent or near windows;
* Do not use fossil fuel burning auxiliary heating sources;
* Have an emergency power outage kit available and well-stocked.
* There should be sufficient supplies to last three days for every family member and family pets. Make sure all batteries are fresh. To find out what to put into a kit, go to www.takewinterbystorm.org
* Know how to manually override electric garage doors, security
doors and gates;
* Have a land-line phone or fully charged cell phone available -cordless phones won't work when the power is out;
* Unplug electrical appliances if the power goes out so that when the power comes back on, there won't be a surge that could damage sensitive electronic equipment;
* Use battery-powered flashlights - not candles or oil lamps; also have a battery-powered radio;
* Close doors, windows, curtains, and unused fireplace dampers to retain heat if there is an outage.