Published December 11 2014
The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning for the region, to be in effect from 4 p.m. today (Thursday, December 11) to 4 a.m., Friday. There could be power outages as a result of downed trees.
If you lose power, call Puget Sound Energy (1-888-225-5773). Residents can track area power outages at PSE.
Residents should be careful when driving and treat any dark intersections as four-way stops. Drivers should also make sure their vehicles have plenty of gas, because when the power is out, gas pumps at service stations typically don’t work.
The city offers up-to-date information about emergencies and extreme weather in Bellevue. Subscribers will receive text or email Alerts when the page is updated. The page is a widget in the city's MyBellevue mobile app. Posts will also be made on the city's Facebook and Twitter pages.
City crews are on their normal 24-hour standby for emergency calls. In addition, The Transportation, Parks and Utilities departments will have staff on hand to answer phones and respond to street maintenance issues, power outage impacts to utility services, park system outages or damage and generator support for signal outages at critical intersections. These crews are cross-trained to support one another for many response issues such as fallen trees.
All city departments are prepared and ready to respond if issues of safety arise.
Downed Trees: Treat all downed power lines as live and dangerous. If you see a downed power line, call Puget Sound Energy immediately at 1-888-225-5773 or call 911. Avoid anything that may be touching downed lines, including vehicles or tree branches. If you just find a downed tree blocking a street, call Bellevue's 24-hour service line 425-452-7840.
Power Outages: If you don’t have electricity, ONLY use a generator outdoors and far from windows and vents. NEVER cook inside on a charcoal or gas grill. NEVER use a generator indoors, in garages or carports. carbon monoxide facts in multiple languages
When there are outages, PSE has a process to restore power. They need to first assess the damage, prioritize the responses and then dispatch their crews. They restore critical services first, followed by restoring power to the greatest number of customers as quickly as they can.
Storm Debris: Residents who have organics service with Republic Services can put out the following containers weekly: In addition to one 96-gallon green organics cart (200 lb. weight limit), three 32-gallon containers marked “organics†or paper yard bags (55 lb. weight limit each). For questions, call Republic Services at 425-452-4762.
Tips to follow before and during wind storms:
- Call 911 for life-threatening emergencies.
- Call the city's Operations & Maintenance 24-hour line at 425-452-7840 to report flooding, hazardous roads, water main breaks and sewer overflows.
- Charge phones and mobile devices in case the power goes out.
- Download the PSE mobile app, for tracking outages and reporting outages.
- Report outages using the app or by calling PSE at 888-225-5773.
- PSE maintains an outage map.
- Never touch downed power lines. Call PSE at 888-225-5773 or 911 to report problems.
- To report gas leaks, call PSE at 1-888-225-5773.
- For help with installing backup generators, call PSE at 1-800-562-1482.
- Build emergency kits for your family to have at home, in the car and at school or work. Your kit should sustain you for 72 hours or longer and include food, water, first aid kit, a small tool kit, battery-powered radio, seasonal clothing, eye protection, flashlight with batteries, sanitary supplies, sleeping bags and extra blankets.