When the Lights Go Out

A little preparation can make all the difference when you lose power

Most of us depend on electricity to power nearly every aspect of our daily lives—from heating and lighting to communication and cooking. When the power goes out, it can feel like life suddenly comes to a standstill. Even though Orcas Power & Light Cooperative crews respond as quickly as possible, some outages are more complex and may take several hours to resolve.

The key to making it through any outage with minimal stress is preparation.

Why does outage restoration take so long?

When an outage alert comes through, OPALCO’s on-call crew is immediately dispatched. They assess the situation, gather the necessary equipment, and head to the site to begin investigation and repair. Depending on whether the outage is underground or overhead, different tools and techniques are required.

Underground outages involve using specialized equipment, such as a thumper, to detect the fault location. A thumper requires crew members to be on their hands and knees, listening for a low thump sound emitted every 10 seconds or so, which allows them to locate the damage. Overhead outages can be equally complex and often require getting up in bucket trucks in inclement weather. In the case of an outage caused by an extreme weather event or emergency, power restoration may involve other emergency and first-response teams. It may require replacement and rebuilding of critical pieces of equipment, such as power poles, transformers or inverters. In these cases, OPALCO crews must work closely with other first responders and may need to wait to restore power until cleared to do so.

Due to the unique nature of our island service area, OPALCO crews handle many tasks that might be divided among multiple workers at larger utilities. They’re trained for a wide range of scenarios and work day and night—even in stormy weather—to restore power as safely and efficiently as possible. In other words, our crews have learned to wear many hats, including their hard hats. We are grateful for all the first responders who answer the call in an emergency and work tirelessly to keep others safe.

Prepare for an Outage

Staying ready is one of the most important ways to remain safe and comfortable during an unexpected outage. Here are some things you can do to be proactive:

Get ready before a storm arrives. In the days or hours leading up to a major storm, it’s important to take proper steps to prepare your home and family.

• Make sure all essential electronics, such as phones, laptops, power banks and electric vehicles, are fully charged. Unplug sensitive electronics or use surge protectors to protect your devices.
• Place flashlights and candles in easily accessible spots throughout your home, and keep a battery-powered radio or phone handy for emergency updates. Write down important phone numbers, including emergency services, doctors, neighbors and OPALCO’s outage line. Keep them somewhere easy to find.
• Know how to shut off your utilities— electricity, gas and water—if necessary.
• Keep at least half a tank of fuel in your car—gas pumps won’t work without electricity. If you have an electric garage door, make sure you know how to open it manually.

Assemble your outage kit. Aim to have enough supplies on hand to get through a three-to five-day outage. Store these items in a backpack, bucket or bin for easy transportation:

• Drinking water and canned/nonperishable food
• Blankets, sweaters and warm socks
• Flashlights, candles and battery-operated lanterns
• Fully charged power banks for emergency devices
• Battery-operated clock/radio and phone
• Extra batteries
• First-aid supplies
• Electricity-free entertainment, such as books, puzzles, cards and board games
• Supplies for furry family members

Know how to report and track an outage. Outage reporting helps OPALCO gather information on which areas of the community are affected and allows crews to respond efficiently.

• Call 360-376-3500 or log on to your SmartHub account to report an outage.
• Double-check if your neighbors also have outages—sometimes, it’s just a tripped breaker on your end. This also gives us information about the source of the outage and how far it reaches.
• Track real-time outage updates on our outage map at opalco.com/outage. The map automatically updates every five minutes. Have an “outage buddy” who can check the website even if your internet is down. You can call them and have them look at our webpage from anywhere in the world.

While outages are never convenient, being prepared makes all the difference. A little planning today can help ensure your comfort and safety tomorrow. Visit www.opalco.com/outages-safety/preparation for more information.