Thousands of people are without power for a third straight day in Lane County and other parts of southwest Oregon. Utilities are bringing in crews from around the region to help restore electricity as quickly as possible following Monday’s snow storm. But people in the hardest-hit areas could have a long wait ahead of them. Callers to the Emerald People’s Utility District were greeted with a message on Wednesday telling them that “we do not have an estimated time of repair, and we are encouraging customers to make alternative arrangements for up to a week while we restore power.”
“This is the largest mobilization effort we’ve ever undertaken to deal with a storm,” said EPUD public relations coordinator Patty Jo Angelini in a press release. “We want customers to know we’re using every resource available.”
Utility officials urge people to stay clear of downed power lines. Generally, crews are prioritizing repairs that lead to the greatest number of customers receiving power at a time.
