Thousands of Portland General Electric customers suddenly lost power Wednesday afternoon in Southwest Portland's Goose Hollow neighborhood and around Washington Square Mall in Tigard, right as the region baked in a summer heat wave. PGE's outage tracker showed roughly 2,900 customers down in Goose Hollow and more than 1,000 affected near Washington Square.
PGE's update
According to the Portland General Electric outage map, crews were dispatched to Goose Hollow to investigate and make repairs, and the utility gave an estimated restoration time of about 5:30 p.m. local time. The map listed the Washington Square Mall area as a separate incident, with a customer count that PGE adjusted as it worked to assign crews.
What reporters found
KPTV reported that the outages first appeared on the utility's site just before 1:30 p.m., and that the station had reached out to PGE for more information. KPTV's coverage noted that PGE had crews on scene in Goose Hollow, while the Washington Square outage still showed as unassigned as of about 3 p.m.
How this fits into a pattern
The outages hit as the region was already sweating through a summer heat wave and follow other large-scale disruptions this year, including a pre-dawn blackout in April that cut power to more than 12,000 PGE customers that Hoodline previously covered. Residents and local leaders have continued to push for quicker upgrades and more-resilient systems even as utilities work through longer-term reliability projects.
How to check for updates and stay safe
Customers looking for the latest restoration estimates should check PGE's outage center or call the utility's 24-hour outage lines at 503-464-7777 or 800-544-1795, according to the company's guidance. PGE urges people to stay away from downed lines and to report outages through its website or by phone. The outage center is the best place to watch for rolling updates as crews work through repairs.
Cooling help in Tigard
With high temperatures still in the forecast, Tigard's Beat the Heat page lists cooling spaces and resources for residents dealing with outages. City officials have urged neighbors to check on older residents and to limit fridge openings to preserve food if the power stays out for an extended period.
