More than 60,000 remain without power across Oregon a week after powerful winter storm

A week after frigid temperatures, ice and snow crippled utilities across northwest Oregon, more than 60,000 homes and businesses remained without power Friday morning.

Most of those outages, around 55,000, were in Clackamas and Marion counties. Maria Pope, president of Portland General Electric, the state’s largest provider of electricity, said 90% of customers who lost power should have service restored by Friday evening.

The utility said it has roughly 3,000 employees working around the clock to restore power.

Communities at what Pope called “the epicenter” of the storm–including Canby, Silverton, Woodburn, Stayton, West Linn, Milwaukie, Sellwood, Gladstone and the surrounding areas–could be waiting longer. For those customers, estimated to be about 15,000 homes and businesses, no definitive timetable has been set for when service could return.

On Thursday, Pope also apologized to some customers who had received automated messages that their service had been restored, only to return home and find the power still out.

“Our hearts go out to those who have returned home and still don’t have power on,” she said.

As the outages stretch into their seventh day, reports surfaced on social media of some frustrated residents trying to reconnect or move power lines themselves.

PGE spokesperson Andrea Platt said the utility advises people to stay away from downed lines and assume they’re energized even if they appear dormant.

“They can be very dangerous, if not deadly,” she said, referencing downed lines. “Don’t touch them with an object, your clothes or your body. Don’t drive over them.”

Platt also urged people who are picking up debris and moving downed trees to leave any limbs that are entangled with power lines, as those can also pose a risk.

She said anyone with a downed line should call PGE at 503-464-7777.