UPDATE: Power outage in south West Seattle

| Utilities | West Seattle news

5:25 PM: Thanks for the tips. A “bang” was heard and then the power went out – we’re getting reports so far from the South Delridge area.

5:29 PM: A caller says there’s a wire down in trees by Delridge and Kenyon. The City Light map says more than 200 customers are out.

6:05 PM: The signal at 17th/Roxbury is out. Remember that a nonworking signal means an all-ways stop.

7 PM: Thanks for the tips. The outage hss just expanded to more than 2,000 customers.

8:49 PM: The map attributes the outage to unspecified “equipment failure.” We have a call out to their on-call media rep seeking further elaboration.

9:55 PM: Power’s back for almost everyone, though one of the original pockets – 50 customers – is still shown as out.If we don’t hear sooner, we’ll follow up f9r a more detailed explanation of the cause on Monday.

ADDED SATURDAY AFTERNOON: As of 3:30 pm Saturday, the map shows 59 customers still out, mostly in pockets along SW Roxbury. Here’s the screengrab for the record:

5:13 PM SATURDAY: Since then, everybody’s been reconnected.

Matt T August 13, 2021 (5:27 pm)

Saw one of the powerlines near Orchard and Delridge falling to the street while the crew worked, at about 5:10. I assume this is related.

n7oep August 13, 2021 (6:46 pm)

It looked to me like City Light crews were stringing a new wire in the top of those very large poles running along Delridge, from Myrtle to Cambridge, and it separated at Trenton, drooping down between poles all along the route. It fell on the 26 Kilovolt feeders which probably tripped the circuit breakers in the area. Saw many idiots flying right thru the dark lights at 17/Roxbury….totally unaware.

Sigh August 13, 2021 (6:58 pm)

Power outage is bigger now. Just lost power on Barton in Highland Park.

East Coast Cynic August 13, 2021 (6:59 pm)

Just lost power on 25th Ave sw and Barton a few minutes ago.

Charles Hogg August 13, 2021 (7:01 pm)

Power just went out at Vatsana and at least some other businesses at Westwood Village.

mem August 13, 2021 (7:03 pm)

Just north of Henerson went out 5 mins ago.

Connie Wolf August 13, 2021 (7:03 pm)

The power just went out in South Delridge by 17th and Henderson (around 6:50 pm).

Jim P August 13, 2021 (7:12 pm)

ETR is 2 PM Saturday!Bleak comedy at best. Third world incompetence at worst. Had one beginning of that nasty heat wave end of June too.Never seen so many outages as around West Seattle.

WSB August 13, 2021 (7:34 pm)

Please remember as I’ve said so many times before, THE ESTIMATED TIME OF RESTORATION IS NOT WORTH PAYING ATTENTION TO. It’s an absolute guess, as I learned from SCL years ago, and the actual restoration is likely to be a lot sooner – or sometimes later.
- Wavy David August 13, 2021 (8:23 pm)
  
  I love you WSB.
M August 13, 2021 (9:33 pm)

Jim, please do not confuse a moderate and temporary inconvenience with lack of clean water, full time electricity, public transportation, access to health care, internet/cell phone data, and overall safety. You’ll be fine. I promise.

Gene White August 13, 2021 (7:17 pm)

It’s out here on 18th and barton st

KA August 13, 2021 (7:43 pm)

Out at 18th and Trenton

A B August 13, 2021 (8:27 pm)

Called the emergency line once the second outage hit at 6:58. Woman at Seattle Electric said they were responsible for the second wave as they needed to turn it off to fix the first. Said it would be fixed by 7:30. I called back at 8 and she said they were “having a hard time fixing it” but it was their priority and she had a high degree of confidence it would be fixed “soon.” Either way, intentionally turning off power to 2000 homes, in order to fix power to < 50 homes, in a heat wave with poor air quality due to smoke was a terrible idea.

WSB August 13, 2021 (8:37 pm)

In past outages, similar action has been needed to route power around whatever’s malfunctioning. Even in bad weather (winter), unfortunately. By the way the original outage was 212, not 50. For some reason the 50 was labeled as a different outage from the 162, but that too has happened in past outages, so you just add up the pockets..
Jody H August 13, 2021 (8:41 pm)

We will be forever known as the “2,000”
cheeseWS777 August 13, 2021 (9:02 pm)

Terrible idea? Really they got to do what they got to do to fix it. Your power isnt more important then sombody elsez. Also i doubt ur a electrician so i dont think u know what ur talking about
Jim P August 13, 2021 (9:05 pm)

Map shows etr of 9 s I guess that is out. Way too many single point sources of failure.Aoartjents next door are on as is the school and this end of Westwood seems litWe seem to win the outage lottery any time something in thus part of ws sneezes.Be interesting to see a graph of outages around here.

flimflam August 13, 2021 (8:40 pm)

Oof. I don’t have AC but if I couldn’t use my fans right now it’d be rough. Check on your neighbors…

Rew August 13, 2021 (8:57 pm)

If a residential customer breaks a power line they charge them 3000.00. Whose planning on paying for this and all my groceries in the freezer that are melting.

Eddie August 13, 2021 (9:06 pm)

Keeping opening the freezer door to check on it. That’s been known to help.

A B August 13, 2021 (9:05 pm)

Currently 2 SCL ladder trucks at 18th and Delridge. Just arrived. Fingers crossed!

East Coast Cynic August 13, 2021 (9:05 pm)

The blackouts around here always seem to be attributed to “equipment failure “. Why don’t we in west seattle get the same equipment as neighborhoods with far fewer blackouts??

Maggie August 14, 2021 (9:36 am)

I lived in NW Capitol Hill for years before moving here and we had more frequent outages there than I’ve noticed here. Not sure it’s better anywhere else.
Jay August 14, 2021 (2:18 pm)

It seems to be getting better. A couple years ago in North Admiral there seemed to be outages every few weeks. Sometimes twice a week or more. It got to the point I had a hard time running my 3D printer, I lost a lot of prints in 2018 due to outages. And now I think it’s only been one outage in the past six months.

SeaLight August 13, 2021 (9:07 pm)

Thanks guys at SCL! Getting ‘er done. Be careful. Most people don’t appreciate how dangerous linework is. Hang in there all you in the dark right now. it’s actually finally pretty nice outside; might want to wait outside.

Wally August 13, 2021 (9:12 pm)

Is it the end of the world?

John Smith August 13, 2021 (9:26 pm)

I drove by the SCL crews at approx. 8:30pm. It looked to me as though they had a relatively large diameter (two or three inches, maybe) line strung and drooping. The line was on a drum at the south end. The crew at the north end seemed to be doing something; the crew at the south end seemed to be waiting. I’m guessing the orange line is not for electricity, and will be used to pull the lines that will be used for electricity. The explosion/boom that was reported earlier reminds me of when I saw and heard a transformer blow six years or so ago. I’m hoping that SCL will be able to restore electricity to most of the affected customers overnight, but that’s just a hope and a guess.

Njb2021 August 13, 2021 (9:37 pm)

I was down at Westwood Village at the B of A cash machine and had just put my card in when the power went out and the machine went dead. Unfortunate timing. Hoping B of A will be open tomorrow morning so I can get my card back.

Chris August 13, 2021 (9:47 pm)

Power just returned at 15th and Henderson

WSlite August 13, 2021 (9:49 pm)

I really hope people get their power back on sooner than later. I’m sure there are those relying on their fans, air conditioning and air purifiers with this heat and smoke right now…

miws August 13, 2021 (9:55 pm)

Power came back on around 9:40-ish in the 9000 block of 16th SW. Out for just under three hours. —Mike

WSB August 13, 2021 (9:57 pm)

Thanks, just noticed that when checking the map again.
Jim P August 13, 2021 (10:18 pm)

About the same time on Trenton. Going to light a candle to the gods of air conditioning. . Whatever I may think of City Light in general, I seriously salute the folk out in hot ,cold, generally wretched weather doing what it takes to get us back up.

kt August 13, 2021 (9:57 pm)

Back up in South Delridge

John August 13, 2021 (10:10 pm)

Picked up bags of ice on the way home…threw them in the fridge to try to preserve the groceries we just bought earlier…and the power came back on. 🤣. So you’re welcome all. 👍