UPDATE: Power outage in Highland Park, Westwood, White Center

| Utilities | West Seattle news

4:17 PM: It’s not mapped yet but that’s where we’ve heard from so far. Anywhere else?

4:20 PM: Mapped now, 3,639 customers out.

4:28 PM: Some traffic signals are out on Roxbury – remember that a dark signal = 4-way stop.

4:33 PM: No official cause yet from SCL but multiple commenters report hearing booms just before losing power.

5:20 PM: A texter tells us Westwood Village is affected. We’ll head over to look soon.

6:04 PM: SCL says 2,200 customers have their power back, while 1,500 are still out.

6:12 PM: The map shows everyone else is back on too. (If you’re not, be sure to let City Light know!)

6:20 PM: Here’s what SCL tells us caused it: “It was caused by a compromised stem cable leading down into an underground feeder. Crews were able to isolate it and restore power.”

Dan August 13, 2020 (4:18 pm)

Out in Westwood/Roxhill as well.

Westwood August 13, 2020 (4:19 pm)

Westwood Village

Emerson August 13, 2020 (4:19 pm)

Still out near 18th / Henderson

Highland Park Resident August 13, 2020 (4:20 pm)

Seattle City Light shows an outage centered around 16th and Roxbury. https://utilisocial.io/apps/#/events/map?group=SeattleCityLight&zoomLevel=14&latitude=47.50986&longitude=-122.35743

Westwood August 13, 2020 (4:20 pm)

Westwood area. Not sure if Westwood Village is out, but I’m near there.

JS August 13, 2020 (4:53 pm)

QFC lights out but still open. Cashiers still operational.

Peggy Gannon August 13, 2020 (4:21 pm)

Four huge booms heard clearly at 18th & Roxbury.

Dairmuid August 13, 2020 (4:22 pm)

Any word as to why it’s down?

Jody Hapgood August 13, 2020 (4:22 pm)

Any news on what caused it?

Corey Louviere August 13, 2020 (4:22 pm)

Delridge and 18th area is out. Seattle Light is aware.

East coast cynic August 13, 2020 (4:23 pm)

Westwood village out of power, just 10-15 minutes ago

KT August 13, 2020 (4:24 pm)

no power at 25th and Roxbury.Estimated restoration per City Light recording 11 p.m.

WSB August 13, 2020 (4:31 pm)

Just remember that estimated restoration times are wild guesses – even City Light admits this – so could be much sooner OR much later.

Dustin August 13, 2020 (4:24 pm)

It just got mapped moments ago. Looks pretty big: more than 3,000 affected. I heard a loud noise as the power went out, near Holy Family School. Neighbors were out looking for the cause, thinking someone may have hit a utility pole.

Sarah R August 13, 2020 (4:25 pm)

We heard a few loud booms and our neighbors saw a transformer explode across the street, not sure what caused it though.

Jim P. August 13, 2020 (4:34 pm)

I have never lived in an urban area with worse power reliability than Seattle.

Cammie August 13, 2020 (4:45 pm)

You know I’ve lived in the same house here in White Center for 16 years and the power has may be gone out only a few times since I’ve lived here so I can’t say that I agree. Unfortunately I am right on the edge of this one, two blocks away from me has power. 😫
- Aaron August 13, 2020 (5:05 pm)
  
  I’m just behind Westwood and in the 10 years I’ve lived her we’ve only had an extended outage twice. Both this year, one when a transformer blew near that new apartment construction and today for the planned outage. I’ve always thought the grid here was strong.
- Jim P. August 13, 2020 (5:56 pm)
  
  …only a few times… We may have different standards. A “few” is excessive as I see it. I lived in Anaheim in So Cal. in one apartment for twelve years and had one power outage the whole time.Yeeahaw, power just came back.
westwood August 13, 2020 (4:48 pm)

That’s a joke right? This area loses power maybe once every few years.
Terremoto August 13, 2020 (4:51 pm)

It is a frontier after all.
John August 13, 2020 (4:58 pm)

Yeah. We lost power twice in our house. Since 1985.Doesn’t seem bad to me.
- Jim P. August 13, 2020 (5:38 pm)
  
  I am genuinely impressed. We lose power at least twice a year not counting many flickers that are enough to trip the many battery systems I’ve had to install to protect things. Group of townhouses near the Village and only 11 yeas old. Surrounded by houses and apts. that almost never seem to go out. We seem to be tied to some transformer on Barton that goes out if you glare at it.
  - Angie August 14, 2020 (8:32 am)
    
    And you moved from beautiful SoCal because??
trickycoolj August 13, 2020 (6:34 pm)

I lost power 1 time ever when I lived in Northgate for over 5 years. Move to West Seattle and it’s more than once a year in High Point. Our stupid power feeds up all the greenbelts on the new bridge detour and there’s always trees down in the lines on Sylvan Way or Highland Park Way. Rain? Tree down. Warm summer day? Tree down. Snow? Tree down. Mudslide? Trees down. So much for having under ground utilities in the neighborhood! You still lose power ALL the time because the feeder lines are down and the phone company is too cheap to run gigabit fiber internet underground.
Plf August 13, 2020 (7:50 pm)

And we keep adding more people and density with a fragile infrastructure

YouDontGnomeMe August 13, 2020 (4:44 pm)

I’m guessing Safeway is affected by this? I was just about to head over there, but then I saw this.

WSB August 13, 2020 (5:00 pm)

The map shows the store right on the edge.
Mari August 13, 2020 (5:03 pm)

Even if it is i’m sure they have a generator as backup like the QFC and Target do in westwood so you’re probably fine to go.
- Ben August 13, 2020 (5:40 pm)
  
  Was min QFC 45 minutes ago. Generator (i assume) was running a few lights and the registers but most all other power out. They were shutting down access to freezers to conserve product. I imagine all impacted stores doing the same.
- momosmom August 13, 2020 (6:09 pm)
  
  Speaking of Target…bought something online with them back in April and now we are getting slammed with spam/junk emails to which says “Reply to Target”!

David N August 13, 2020 (4:44 pm)

12th Ave SW and Henderson

Aaron August 13, 2020 (4:49 pm)

The website says the outage on 24th was planned, but there was never any notice. Anyone know why? Could be connected to the apartment fire a week or so ago.

WSB August 13, 2020 (4:58 pm)

9 customers were out as a planned outage that started earlier. Don’t know what that was about.

Mommy M August 13, 2020 (5:36 pm)

Target is open and running

Trump August 13, 2020 (5:43 pm)

We have the best power system, the absolute BEST power system anywhere in the country, actually anywhere in the entire world & that includes outer space.

Everyone who needs electricity can get electricity.

This is why they make really, really, REALLY long electrical cords. People will run these cords for miles & miles & miles … this is why we’re the best, never used to be this way, you can thank me in November.

1994 August 13, 2020 (9:31 pm)

Thanks for the laugh! That was pretty funny, no that was very, very, funny and the best most wonderful funny for today.
- Trump August 14, 2020 (8:04 am)
  
  Thanks! My wife said, “no one will get it”. Between Covid & the bridge, I knew there would be other readers as looney as me.
  - 1994 August 14, 2020 (11:46 am)
    
    If you tossed the word beautiful in there you would have totally nailed it! But, it was still so funny, I hope you don’t mind that I forwarded your beautiful funny to a few others by e-mail. My circle thought it hilarious. I can’t wait until November and we can hear the words, “You are fired!” exclaimed by people with critical thinking skills and all the comedians.

Philip Lightstone August 13, 2020 (5:44 pm)

15th and Roxbury out as of 5:45 pm.

AMD August 13, 2020 (5:46 pm)

Just came back on in S Highland Park

Annie August 13, 2020 (5:47 pm)

It’s back on! (At 24th & Cambridge)

R Cohen August 13, 2020 (5:48 pm)

Power’s back on in Westwood!

Lilwash August 13, 2020 (5:51 pm)

It is back on at 18th & Henderson but tons of house alarms are going off.

Westwood August 13, 2020 (5:55 pm)

Back on 24th/Trenton

Mari August 13, 2020 (5:57 pm)

Power back on near westwood village. Not sure about the other areas

Jeff August 13, 2020 (5:58 pm)

My power came back on about 10 minutes ago. Highland Park area, near Westcrest Park.

Cammie August 13, 2020 (5:59 pm)

Power just came back on 5:57 PM 106th Ave. SW. and Southwest 18th

Darren August 13, 2020 (6:00 pm)

Power outage due to a downed pole. It was hit earlier

WSB August 13, 2020 (6:10 pm)

We covered that separately earlier, but it didn’t trigger a power outage at the time.
WSB August 13, 2020 (6:19 pm)

No, that wasn’t the cause, City Light just told us “It was caused by a compromised stem cable leading down into an underground feeder. Crews were able to isolate it and restore power.”