High winds wreaked havoc early Wednesday as fallen trees and a damaged main line knocked out power to 16,000 customers on the North Olympic Peninsula.
The most significant power outage occurred at 2 a.m. in East Jefferson County.
Some 15,000 Puget Sound Energy customers lost power briefly when the Fairmont Irondale Transmission Line sustained heavy wind damage south of Discovery Bay and cut power to all five substations in East Jefferson County.
The county’s total population is 29,279.
Davina Gruenstein, PSE spokeswoman, said that power was restored within 75 minutes, thanks to a transfer agreement with the Clallam County Public Utility District.
“We put a lot of value in our partnerships around the region, and this is a great example why,” Gruenstein said.
Emergency crew
PSE deployed an emergency crew at 2:15 a.m. to locate, access and repair the damage to the Fairmont Irondale Transmission Line, which is fed by the Bonneville Power Administration.
“Our ground crews are there, stringing new wire, Gruenstein said on Wednesday.
“We expect to have all the repairs made by midnight tonight.”
The outage was caused by wind-related wear on equipment. Sustained winds over a long period swayed the line, causing the wire to drop.
One of three main wires on the Fairmont Irondale line fell to the ground in a remote location.
Since the terrain under the line is largely inaccessible, PSE deployed a helicopter and an all-terrain vehicle to locate the damage, said Dana Marie Smith, electrical first response supervisor for PSE in Jefferson County.
There were 16 ground crew members and extra office staff working on the repairs, Smith said.
“I saw two of the servicemen about an hour ago, and they were very exhausted,” Smith said of the crew, which hoped to complete the repairs by 10 p.m. and midnight.
“They’re on their way back with the materials as we speak,” Smith said. “Thank goodness it was what we call minor damage.”
The last major power outage in Jefferson County occurred in early 2007.
“It doesn’t happen a lot,” Smith said.
The National Weather Service recorded a gust of 55 mph at 1:04 a.m. at Point Wilson, near Port Townsend.
Port Townsend itself had a gust of 30 mph at 8:06 a.m. with sustained winds persisting throughout the day.
More wind
The National Weather Service posted a special weather statement for the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the north Washington coast on Wednesday, calling for the potential of high winds today and Friday.
Rain and wind is forecast for the low-lying elevations with highs around 40 degrees.
A gale warning was in effect for the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Neah Bay
Neah Bay sustained a lengthy power outage when a tree blew into a transmission line between Sekiu and Neah Bay. It cut power to power to 713 customers between 11:50 p.m. on Tuesday and 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
“In this case, it was up there in mountainous country,” said David Proebstel, Clallam County PUD chief engineer.
“It got pretty gusty last night,” said Vince Cook, environmental division manager of the Makah tribe.
“The wreath on my door was blowing pretty good. I looked out the window and I could see some trees shaking.”
The National Weather Service recorded gusts of 49 mph and 44 mph in Neah Bay shortly before the power outage occurred.
The outage was preceded by three short flashes, Cook said.
Winds pushed a tree into a transmission line near La Push late Tuesday and caused a fuse to blow.
The tree was removed and power was restored to 170 customers at 1:50 a.m. Wednesday morning, Proebstel said.
The Quillayute Airport recorded a high gust of 46 mph. around midnight.
No major power outages were reported in Port Angeles, where winds gusted as high as 33 mph at William R. Fairchild International Airport.
A tree fell into an overhead line and broke two poles on White Deer Lane east of Sequim at 10:20 p.m. on Tuesday, cutting power to five customers.
The poles were replaced and power was restored at 6 a.m. Wednesday, Proebstel said.
Highway reopens
The state Department of Transportation has reopened the eastbound lane of Highway 112 near Wilson Road about five miles east of Neah Bay.
Both lanes of the town’s only paved access were closed when a landslide blocked the road on Dec. 22.
Crews opened an alternating lane in the westbound side on Dec. 23.
The impact of the slide cracked the pavement in both lanes.
The road surface will remain gravel until crews apply hot asphalt later this month.
“It’s definitely passable in both lanes,” Cook said.
Hurricane Ridge closed
Heavy snow and high winds forced Olympic National Park officials to close Hurricane Ridge Road above the Heart O’ the Hills entrance on Wednesday.
Weather permitting, the road is scheduled to open daily through Sunday.
Other road closures in Olympic National Park were Olympic Hot Springs at the dam, Whisky Bend, North Fork, Sol Duc, Upper Queets and the South Shore of the Quinault Road at the park boundary.
For updated information on road and weather conditions in Olympic National Park, phone the park’s hotline at 360-565-3131.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com
