PSE Newsroom
‘Take Winter by Storm’ - get prepared for high wind events
Utilities Demonstrate Electrical Safety and Power Outage Preparedness
SEATTLE, Wash. (Nov. 2, 2009) – Storm season is here, and that means our region will almost certainly see high winds as well as heavy rain and some snow in the coming months. Packing a punch that can reach 70 to 80 miles per hour, wind storms in the Puget Sound area pose dangers that range from fallen trees and damaged roofs to downed electrical lines.
Today, the “Take Winter by Storm” campaign showed Seattle Center attendees the importance of winter weather preparedness when local utility workers from Puget Sound Energy and Seattle City Light demonstrated the equipment they use to restore power during storms, including hybrid diesel-electric service trucks.
“It certainly takes planning and coordination, as well as all of us working together to prepare and stand ready to respond to damage caused by wind storms or any event we may face,” said Mike Garcia, electric first responder for Puget Sound Energy. “We are committed to restoring power as quickly as possible to those impacted by storms and other events.”
“There are two goals whenever a power outage occurs: keep everyone safe and get the lights back on,” Seattle City Light Energy Operations Director Bernie Ziemaniek said. “Being prepared for the storms that are bound to come is the first step to meeting those goals.”
In addition, Seattle Center visitors learned how to stay safe during a storm through two interactive displays on electric safety that dramatically visualize the dangers of downed power lines.
The demonstration was part of the Take Winter by Storm campaign, sponsored by King County, the City of Seattle, Puget Sound Energy and State Farm, which represent Washington state’s largest county, city, energy utilities and the leading insurer of homes and automobiles. These organizations have joined forces in the major multi-media public awareness campaign to protect lives and property. Take Winter by Storm is designed to help citizens and businesses get prepared and stay informed when bad weather strikes. Through the end of December, public service announcements on local television and radio stations, as well as broadcast news, King County, the City of Seattle, and PSE Web sites, will remind residents to prepare for winter weather. The Web site, www.takewinterbystorm.org, which will be up year-round, provides preparation and safety tips and links to regional resources for information about the weather, power outages, flooding, shelters and assistance agencies.
Expert tips for weathering a storm
- Assemble an emergency kit with a battery-powered radio, flashlight, extra batteries, a first-aid kit, a fire extinguisher, bottled water and three days of non-perishable food and drinking water. Store a kit at home, work and in your car.
- If you encounter a downed power line, stay well away from the line or anything it may be touching. Immediately report the location of fallen wires to PSE by calling 1-888-225-5773 or Seattle City Light by calling (206) 684-7400, or call 911.
- Do not use charcoal or a gas grill to cook indoors. Both can cause a buildup of poisonous carbon monoxide gas.
- If using an emergency generator, follow the manufacturer’s instructions -- and only use the generator outdoors.
- Turn off lights and unplug all appliances and sensitive electronic equipment, such as computers, to prevent an overload on your circuits when electric service is restored. Leave one light on to let you know when service returns.
- Make sure the battery in your smoke detector is fresh. Test the smoke detector to make sure it’s working.
Customer energy efficiency tips to prepare for winter
- Seal up leaky drafts around doors and windows with weather-stripping, caulking, and door sweeps. Also seal up any leaks or gaps in furnace ducts that extend through unheated basements or crawl spaces.
- Reduce air leaks by repairing broken windows and using inexpensive weather-stripping around entry doors.
- Insulate attics, outside walls and floors over crawlspaces.
- Have the furnace inspected and serviced to make sure it is in proper working order.
- Clean or replace the furnace air filters at least every two months during the heating season. The furnace will run more efficiently and use less energy.
- Set the thermostat at the coolest level you can without making your rooms uncomfortable. For most homes, the heating bill drops by about 2 percent for every 1 degree the thermostat is lowered.
- Lower the thermostat at bedtime or while away during the day. Setting the thermostat to 58 degrees while asleep can cut a natural-gas bill by up to 7 percent.
About Puget Sound Energy
Washington state’s oldest local energy utility, Puget Sound Energy serves more than 1 million electric customers and nearly 750,000 natural gas customers in 11 counties. A subsidiary of Puget Energy, PSE meets the energy needs of its growing customer base through incremental, cost-effective energy conservation, procurement of sustainable energy resources, and far-sighted investment in the energy-delivery infrastructure. PSE employees are dedicated to providing great customer service and delivering energy that is safe, reliable, reasonably priced, and environmentally responsible.
Contact information:
Puget Sound Energy:
Davina Gruenstein, 1-888-831-7250
City of Seattle:
Scott Thomsen, 206-615-0978
King County:
Lynne Miller, 206-205-4031
State Farm®:
Nancy Carpenter, 253-912-7257