PUD Warns Residents In Chelan & Manson To Be Prepared For Safety Outage During Weekend Wind Event

With a forecast for very gusty winds and elevated wildfire danger through part of the weekend, utility managers in North Central Washington are preparing customers for a possible interruption to their electrical service.

The Chelan PUD issued a statement Friday encouraging residents in the Chelan and Manson areas to be ready for a possible power shutoff on Saturday (Aug. 1).

Officials are reminding the public that de-energizing power lines during high-risk weather events, such as wind, can greatly reduce the possibility of new wildfire starts.

PUD customers are being asked to check the addresses of their homes and businesses at the utility's website to confirm if they are part of the planned public safety power shutoff zone.

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A Red Flag Warning is currently in effect from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, and the PUD says its safety outage could last up to 24 hours, or for however long conditions should warrant the action.

In light of the possible shutoff, residents are being urged to take the following actions in advance:

• Stock up on water, shelf-stable food, ice, hard currency, medications, and other essentials
• Gas up vehicle(s)
• Charge mobile phone(s) and consider investing in a mobile charger with an alternative power facilitation feature
• Have a plan for operating critical medical equipment with an alternative power source
• Those with fiber internet service should plug their optical network terminal (ONT) and router into an uninterruptable power supply to maintain connectivity
• Review the operator's manual for portable generators and be prepared to follow its instructions and use the device until the outage has expired