About 13,000 PSE customers in Bellevue have been without power since Saturday, according to KOMO News (story here), and roughly 11,000 Seattle City Light customers are without power as of Monday evening, according to SCL’s system map (here).
In addition, WSDOT reported some I-5 lane closures because of buckled pavement (see story here). However, repairs should be completed in time for Tuesday’s commute. And the city is dousing its steel drawbridges with water to cool them off (story here).
It’s unclear whether the power outages are related to the extreme heat enveloping the Puget Sound Area this weekend, although that seems like a fair guess. SCL attributed two large outage areas in South Seattle to “equipment failure,” whatever that means.
The worst of the heat probably is over. The Seattle forecast calls for overnight cooling with daytime highs in the 80s for the rest of the week. It’s already cooling off in the coastal areas around Westport (story here).
Seattle wasn’t built for this heat. It’s one of the least air-conditioned major cities in the U.S., but with climate change only getting worse, I suspect that’s going to change — if Seattle homeowners can find someone to install it. Better get in line before the next heat wave. Of course, air conditioners don’t work without power, so you’d better get a generator, too. (See my posting on that topic here.)