CEC: "Don't wait this out" - 5:15 p.m. December 9, 2009

As of 4 p.m., Tuesday, Central Electric Cooperative (CEC) had restored power to 60 percent of the 3,000 accounts in the north Bend, Tumalo, Tollgate, Black Butte Ranch and Camp Sherman areas affected by a series of predawn equipment failures caused by subzero temperatures.

"Cold weather is making power restoration difficult.  Do not wait this out.  Central Electric strongly advises affected residents that conditions are dangerously cold.  Residents should not wait for their power to be restored if they cannot comfortably get by for the next 24 hours without power," said Alan Guggenheim, Member Services Director.

             CEC crews and two outside contract crews are working around the clock to repair the system and restore power. 

"Please let our line crews do their jobs," said Guggenheim.  "Call the Deschutes County Office of Emergency Services at 541-550-4888 for information or for transportation for ambulatory residents who are having transportation problems, such as vehicles that won't start."

Sisters Fire Marshal Dave Wheeler cautions residents not to use propane heaters or propane torches to thaw frozen pipes as this can cause health and fire hazards.

Deschutes County and Jefferson County have set up an information line for affected residents at 541-550-4888.

A shelter has been established at Sisters Elementary School.  If you choose to leave your residence and go to a friend or relative's house instead of the shelter, it is advisable to check in with the shelter and leave some information where you will be.  That way, out-of-town callers, including relatives, can get some updated information as to your location.

The outage resulted from the effects of extreme cold weather on an insulated connector on a 69,000 volt power transmission line adjacent to the Tollgate Substation.  That failure resulted in a cascading series of failures to another section of transmission line in the Fryrear Road area near Dry Canyon and to a breaker in the Cline Falls Substation southwest of Eagle Crest.  That substation breaker feeds Tumalo, Tollgate and Black Butte Ranch substations which serve some 3,000 accounts.

"This will go on all night, and it will be below zero," said Guggenheim.  "Take care of your water inside the house so pipes don't freeze.

"Again, we would urge members to not wait this out," he said.

The Deschutes County Office of Emergency Services has requested that all resident, customer and media inquiries be directed to them at 541-550-4888.