Residents in portions of north Eugene got a taste of the storm on Wednesday afternoon, when a tree came down on a major electrical feeder line at Willamette Street and Third Avenue, knocking out power for several thousand EWEB customers served by the Oakway substation. At least 17 traffic signals went dark for about an hour, and traffic was snarled along Coburg Road. Eugene Public Works crews scrambled to get generators in place at several key intersections.
The National Weather Service is forecasting a wind storm tomorrow that may have significant gusts. A windstorm can damage trees, signage and power lines. To prepare, plan for safe alternate light sources, make sure you have supplies (batteries, flashlights, water and food) for your family and pets. Make sure animals kept outside have access to a safe shelter.
In the event of any outages, please do not call 9-1-1 unless you have a life, health or safety emergency.
Always use extreme caution with downed trees and do not cut trees with power lines or wires in them. It’s difficult to tell when power lines are live. Lines that don’t have power can suddenly be turned on as line crews are out working to restore power. The City advises people to use caution when going outside and to avoid any downed power lines. Drive with extreme caution and be prepared for flying debris. Stop signs may be down and traffic signals may not be operating, so drive carefully, especially at intersections.
To report issues or request public works services in Eugene, residents can call Eugene Public Works at 541-682-4800 during normal business hours or use the online service forms at http://www.eugene-or.gov/pw.
To report electrical outages, call EWEB at 844-484-2300. EWEB has additional information about preparing for outages at http://eweb.org/safety/prepare.