Five-hour power outage leaves 1,500 people without electricity
NANCE BESTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 6 months AGO
At around 7:45 a.m. Tuesday, 1,500 people on the peninsula of Moses Lake lost power for around five hours. The outage was caused by a bird flying into the Peninsula Substation.
NANCE BESTON/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
There was a five-hour power outage on the peninsula of Moses Lake on Tuesday, causing several stoplights to become four-way stops. Two people were on West Broadway repairing a stop light after the power returned.
MOSES LAKE — There was a power outage that affected around 1,500 people in the peninsula area of Moses Lake on Monday. The outage started at around 7:45 a.m. and power was restored at 12:35 p.m. according to Chistine Pratt, public information officer for the Grant County Public Utility District.
The power was originally estimated to return at 10:30 a.m., however the repairs took longer than initially anticipated.
“We'll always have people on the way to take care of it and just try to be patient,” Pratt said. “You know if people are interested in getting an update about what the status is of an outage, if it's taking longer than they're expecting, they could always call our customer service number and get an update, but the most important thing is just to stay safe and wait for the lights to come back on.”
The outage was caused by a bird flying into the PUD Peninsula Substation on Peninsula Drive. Pratt said a five-hour outage is quite long and usually Grant PUD will only take a matter of minutes to return power to users unless there was damage and parts needed to be replaced. Pratt could not speak on the repairs completed to return power to customers.
Pratt advised PUD customers to unplug or power off items that draw a lot of power when outages occur.
“What we recommend is that you disconnect your major appliances, because it makes it easier for when power is restored for it to stay on,” Pratt said. “If everybody's drawing a lot of electricity, when the lights come on, it can overpower the system and cause another outage.”
There were several traffic lights out downtown on West Broadway Avenue as a result of the outage. Drivers are to treat down stoplights as a four-way stop. According to Moses Lake Police Department Captain, Jeff Sursely, there were no known traffic collisions caused by the power outage.
Businesses downtown, including the Columbia Basin Herald and the Grant County Health District were without power during this time. GCHD was closed temporarily due to the power outage but reopened at 11:39 a.m. when its power was restored, according to a press release from GCHD.
The outage also caused people to lose internet across the county from Grant County PowerNet. The internet went down because GCPN lost power in their downtown Moses Lake office, according to a release from GCPN. PowerNet asks customers not to touch their routers when an outage happens and to call them at 509-766-1345 if there are still issues with reconnection.
Grant PUD has a toll-free number: 800-216-5226 for outages that it recommends customers call if an outage occurs. It also has a text message service that allows customers to be notified of power outages in their area. Customers can sign up for this on the Grant PUD website under the outages tab. Customers may also reach out to [email protected] with questions.
Pratt said the main thing with any outage is to focus on safety.
“I think the most important thing to do is just stay safe,” Pratt said. “Don’t do anything that would put yourself at risk. If you see power lines on the ground, stay away from them. In this case, there weren't any.”
There was a five-hour power outage on the peninsula of Moses Lake on Tuesday, causing several stoplights to become four-way stops. Two people were on West Broadway repairing a stop light after the power returned.
ARTICLES BY NANCE BESTON
1 arrested after Highway 17 stop; detectives recover fentanyl, firearms
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Street Crimes Unit conducted a traffic stop on Highway 17 near Randolph Road and executed a search warrant Friday morning as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation.
4th-year drought declaration in WA, subtle effects in the Columbia Basin
EPHRATA — Washington’s fourth straight year of drought is expected to hit some regions hard, but in Grant and Adams counties, the impacts will look different – quieter, less visible and centered underground. Statewide, the Department of Ecology issued an emergency drought declaration after a warm winter left Washington with about half its usual snowpack, raising concerns about low summer streamflows, stressed fish populations and heightened wildfire risk. Seven of the past 10 years have included drought somewhere in the state. “If you look at our mountains, the challenge we are facing is clear,” Gov. Bob Ferguson said during a press conference Wednesday. “We’re taking emergency action to protect fish, farmers and communities across Washington.”
Sleep Diagnostic Center to close after doctor’s sentencing
MOSES LAKE — The Central Washington Sleep Diagnostic Center announced it will be closing its doors effective April 30. This includes locations in Moses Lake, Spokane Valley, Brewster and Wenatchee. The announcement follows the March 25 guilty plea from Dr. Eric Edward Haeger, 57, in United States District Court to adulterating and misbranding medical devices with the intent to defraud or mislead, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “The adulterations by Dr Haeger show a dangerous disregard for the safety of his patients,” Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said in a statement. “This is a win for patient safety, for protecting public dollars from fraud, and for ensuring citizens of Washington get necessary healthcare. This case exemplifies the great work our team is doing in collaboration with our federal partners to fight fraud and protect Washingtonians.”