Downed branch sparks power outage in Oak Harbor


December 29, 2011 · 3:54 PM

A tree branch caused more than 1,000 homes on North Whidbey Island to lose power Tuesday night.

At approximately 8:55 p.m., a tree branch fell into power lines near Crosby Avenue, said Dorothy Bracken, spokeswoman for Puget Sound Energy. The falling branch caused a surge, which forced a nearby transformer to “pop.”

That sound prompted reports of a transformer exploding near the intersection of NW Key Street and NW Crosby Avenue.

The Tuesday evening incident knocked out power to 1,276 Puget Sound Energy customers.

Work crews removed the tree branch by 9:20 p.m. and power was restored at 10:07 p.m., Bracken said. She noted the Oak Harbor power outage was the only significant outage on Whidbey Island Tuesday night.

 

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