PUD 3 is planning an overnight outage July 16-17 affecting about 6,000 North Mason customers as part of a multi-phase system upgrade project. Areas affected include: All of the Tahuya Peninsula, and most of Belfair proper.
The outage window will last from about 10 PM Wednesday, July 16, until about 6 AM Thursday, July 17.
During the outage, crews will coordinate with other contractors to perform maintenance on the transmission lines that connect from the Belfair substation to both the Union River and Collins Lake substations. Learn more about the overall Belfair Electrical Upgrades projects on our Belfair Electrical Upgrades page.
For the outage, there are several steps customers can take to prepare:
- Temperatures during the outage are projected to be in the 60s and down to the mid-50s. To stay cool in any summer evening outage:
- Open doors and windows to allow cool night air in.
- Prep a cooler with ice and cold beverages in it, which could also include some wet rags.
- If you have a downstairs or basement, sleep there instead of higher places in the home (heat rises).
- For anyone with medical devices, please prepare for this outage window. We always recommend that anyone with medical devices have a backup plan in case of outages – whether they are planned or unexpected. Contact your local fire authority, the manufacturer of the devices, or other resources to help. Some folks also stay at a friend or family members’ house for the night. If during the outage you cannot find resources that work for you, contact medical support.
- We also recommend that customers keep fridge and freezer doors closed to preserve the cold. Foods will stay frozen up to 48 hours if the door remains closed. Most foods will also stay in good condition in a closed refrigerator for several hours, but items like meat and dairy should be used or frozen before the outage – use your discretion in handling perishable items.
- During the outage, we recommend unplugging sensitive appliances and electronic equipment until power has been restored for about 20 minutes. Also, especially with electronics, it is important to use surge protectors.
The safety of our crews and the community is always our top priority. If conditions change and adjustments become necessary, we will communicate any updates as quickly as possible. We appreciate your patience while we perform this important work which will help us continue to offer you safe and reliable service.
The below maps indicate with turquoise lines all customers on the Tahuya Peninsula and some into Belfair proper will be out of power:
