WEST SEATTLE POWER OUTAGE UPDATE: City Light underground trouble from Brace Point to Arroyos

6:33 PM: That’s the Seattle City Light map showing the extent of a power outage that started shortly after 6 pm in Brace Point and part of The Arroyos. SCL says 327 customers – homes/businesses – are affected, but no word yet on the outage’s cause. The estimated restoration time is ~9:28 pm but remember that’s just a guess – could be sooner, could be later. (Thanks for the tips, and let us know when the power’s back – 206-293-6302 text or voice – thanks!)

7:18 PM: About half those who originally lost power have it back – 159 are still out, per the map, which now attributes the outage to “equipment failure.”

12:11 AM: The map still shows those customers out after 6 hours, with the restoration estimate now moved back past 2 am. We’ll be asking City Light later today for more information on what failed.

5:30 AM: Around 3 am, the outage area on the SCL map reverted to the original 327 customers. There’s now a restoration estimate of ~8:26 am.

9:23 AM: Just talked to Tyson Lin of SCL. He says the problem is in an underground vault and it’s taking a long time because crews first had to be able to get into the vaults safely – which involved, among other things, pumping out water with vacuum trucks – and then had to test each cable individually to figure out where the problem is. They’re still in the testing phase, Lin says, which they hope to finish by 11 am, and then restoration and repair, assuming they are able to find the specific problem, could take until 3 pm. We also asked why the additional customers lost power again at 3 am; that was because a particular cable had to be deactivated so they could safely reach others for testing.

11:21 AM: Just checked the SCL map for the first time in about an hour and a half and it shows the outage has ended – if your power isn’t back, be sure to call 206-684-3000 to make sure they know.

18 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE POWER OUTAGE UPDATE: City Light underground trouble from Brace Point to Arroyos"

  • HelperMonkey April 17, 2017 (6:48 pm)

    Lights flickered in Arbor Heights 

  • Jack April 17, 2017 (10:39 pm)

    Power’s back on but now the cable is out.

    • WSB April 17, 2017 (10:50 pm)

      Thank you! SCL map doesn’t reflect full restoration yet but it tends to lag, we’ll keep checking.

      Cable outages do seem to accompany power outages – be sure to report it if you haven’t already.

  • Darcey April 18, 2017 (5:12 am)

    Power is still out down in South Brace Point neighborhood! I hear what I am guessing is the SCL truck.

    • Constance Wood April 18, 2017 (8:28 am)

      Generator on 50th. Trucks on Roxbury and 47/45.  ETA is 10 am

      • WSB April 18, 2017 (8:33 am)

        Thanks, I am still waiting to hear back from SCL communicators regarding what exactly failed.

  • Constance Wood April 18, 2017 (5:23 am)

    Power out at 3 am, cable went out about 10 pm south of Brace Point. Power was out on sections of 47 Ave SW when I drove through at 9 pm. City light has no restoration time posted.

  • Jack April 18, 2017 (5:28 am)

    Power back off at 3:00am and still not on.

  • Tony April 18, 2017 (7:23 am)

    Power is still out on 51st….

  • Michelle April 18, 2017 (7:46 am)

    Power out on Maplewood Place at 730.

  • M April 18, 2017 (9:25 am)

    Estimate for restoring power per Seattle City Light = 2pm

    • WSB April 18, 2017 (9:27 am)

      I just talked to an SCL spokesperson and have added specifics on what’s happening. It could even be 3 pm, he says. (But also could be sooner, so don’t lose hope …)

  • Alan April 18, 2017 (9:54 am)

    It doesn’t look like the Arroyos were impacted. The outage bubble goes slightly into the Arroyos Natural Area, but the first house in the Arroyos is quite a bit further south where Arroyo Beach Pl SW ends.

    • WSB April 18, 2017 (10:00 am)

      It’s the best description I have.

      • Alan April 18, 2017 (11:45 am)

        Yeah, realtors seem to call it “Fauntleroy Area” which wouldn’t be at all helpful. “South (of?) Brace Point” is probably better. All in all, it doesn’t really matter as this generally doesn’t come up.

  • Liz April 18, 2017 (11:24 am)

    Power is back on 50th Ave SW as of 11:05  or so.

    • WSB April 18, 2017 (11:39 am)

      Thanks! I just updated a few minutes ago after noticing the outage had vanished off the map, which generally means everybody’s back on. But there is no online record of exactly *when* – so thanks for sharing the time check … means that for some, this was a 17-hour outage.

  • Joshua Anderson April 18, 2017 (2:46 pm)

    Every time there is an outage like this the line men can be exposed to great risk. An arc flash in a vault can cause immediate death or severe 3rd degree burns. Take time to thank your line crews for the risks they take to keep the power on.

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