People in rural Lane County are among thousands in the region without power due to Monday’s storm. Lane Electric Cooperative, which serves Cottage Grove, Oakridge and other areas is working through historic outages.
Public relations manager Lindsey McCarthy says 75 to 80 percent of Lane Electric members are without power as of mid-day Tuesday. She says the damage was widespread.
“We have currently about 8 of our 12 substations in our service territory that are fed by Bonneville Power Administration that are still without power.”
Five line crews are working with BPA to restore service. The Veneta substation is back online and some people there now have power, however:
“The expectation should be to be without power for a week or longer. We are hopeful that we’re able to restore the power sooner than that, but members should be prepared to be without power for a week or more.”
McCarthy asks that customers be patient, as the safety of line crews is their priority. If possible, people should shelter with family or friends. She says their website and Facebook page will have the most up to date information.