UPDATE: Power outage on Duwamish Head blamed on ‘failed underground cable’

7:25 PM: Thanks for the tip! 166 Seattle City Light customers lost power around 5:45, along Alki Avenue, on the west side of Duwamish Head [map].

MIDNIGHT: The outage map shows a few have their power back – the customer count is now 148. The cause, meantime, is labeled as “equipment failure.”

2:37 AM: Not fixed yet.

10:15 AM: Down to 54 customers now. City Light is working in the 1400 block:

We’re waiting to hear back from SCL’s media team about the outage’s cause.

1:42 PM: SCL spokesperson Jenny Levesque says the cause was “a failed underground cable.” She also says everyone’s back on, though the map shows those last 54 customers – but also says its last update was 4+ hours ago.]

1:54 PM: After we asked a followup question, she clarified those 54 are indeed still out.

3 PM: SCL says everybody’s back on.

13 Replies to "UPDATE: Power outage on Duwamish Head blamed on 'failed underground cable'"

  • SRC August 19, 2021 (8:58 pm)

    Can you post link for updates on  Duwamish Head Power outage? The strip is in the dark. 

    • WSB August 19, 2021 (9:25 pm)

      The outage map is linked in the story. No updates as of one minute ago. And PLEASE as we say every outage, don’t take ANY stock in the “estimated time of restoration,” which is always an absolute guess. Could be a lot sooner, could be a lot later. Haven’t heard anything about the origin of this one – we drove the area before sunset, looking for SCL crews, saw none, but the origin of an outage can be somewhat distant …

      (2:37 am note – two hours to the current 4:39 am restoration. We’re going off watch for a few hours – let us know if the power comes back in the meantime, since all that happens on SCL’s map is that the outage vanishes with no record of its end time.)

  • Ruckus August 19, 2021 (9:06 pm)

    A lot of the Alki condos are experiencing selective outages within their units; a kitchen but not a bedroom, an elevator but not a lobby etc. 

  • SRC August 20, 2021 (5:12 am)

    A lot of water being pumped, several SPU trucks, (but they’re heading out), no visible SCL presence, no power at 5:07 am. Any recommendations on commercial place to take small amount (think medium-size) chest freezer of frozen food (to store frozen?) 

  • Marcus August 20, 2021 (6:04 am)

    I think that electrical system is fairly new due to the large condo buildings, but that was maybe 10-15 years ago.  I believe newer systems are built with more isolating equipment so that keeps the outage smaller.  Still it does take time to repair.

  • Rod August 20, 2021 (6:32 am)

    Are these outages due to an Inadequate or failing infrastructure?  If so, I hope SCL gets some help from the new infrastructure funding.

  • waikikigirl August 20, 2021 (7:06 am)

    A lot of power outages lately due to equipment failure… seems like the City and the outlying neighborhoods equipment needs to be brought into the current Century. The pole in front of our home built in 1954 no longer is a dark color looks more like driftwood with numerous cracks going all around it, straight up to the top  and down to the bottom, a slight wind or car if hit would knock it right over!  But it keeps getting the “tag” of inspection on it, I guess it’s OK to whom???Ruckus, selective outages in units sounds scary to me, why would that be?

  • M.B. August 20, 2021 (7:09 am)

    Any idea what is up with this recent rash of equipment failures and outages? It just seems like an awful lot all at once lately.

  • Kiko August 20, 2021 (8:36 am)

    Still no power at 8:30am. Utility signs are up on the street and there are three cars on site (I only saw from far away)

    • Kiko August 20, 2021 (1:17 pm)

      Still no power @1pm 😓

  • AlkiPissed@City August 20, 2021 (9:58 am)

    So now CityLight web sez power not to be restored until 118 pm…. This city really needs to get its act together. This is the 2nd power outage in 6 months, and an inoperable bridge ….  Are there any adults in the City of Seattle?

  • Marcus August 20, 2021 (2:00 pm)

    Cables usually last a long time and it does take quite a while to pull out the old and pull the new back into the conduit and then make up the connections.  Glad they have isolated down to fewer customers.   Must have been that 108 degree hot weather we had, really stresses the electrical equipment and that Alki westerly sun just keeps everything hot.  

  • 1994 August 20, 2021 (9:16 pm)

    Maybe we all need to purchase those diesel generators  (and get a fuel tank) with all of these power outages going on. SPU electricity rate hikes may be coming if they keep having so many equipment failures.

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