The National Weather Service says, “When thunder roars, stay indoors”
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Thunderstorms are headed toward the Pacific Northwest with increased chances of downed trees and power outages on Wednesday.
The potentially damaging storms are expected to build along the southern Willamette Valley in the early afternoon and grow in intensity as the storms move north toward Portland through the evening.
Large hail of 1-2 inches can easily cause damage to cars and roofs in some areas, while wind gusts close to 60 mph could lead to several outages if power lines fall. Pacific Power anticipates the storm to impact customers and encourages them to prepare for an emergency.
Before the storm, Pacific Power recommends charging all devices and creating and/or restocking an outage kit. In your kit, you should include:
- Water, 1 gallon per person per day
- Non-perishable food and manual can opener
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- Blankets
- First aid kit
- Copies of important family documents
- Cash
In addition to this list, you can also invest in a battery-powered radio and/or a solar-powered cell phone charger. If you have pets, children, elderly, or disabled family members, be sure to have important medicines and supplies on hand.
The National Weather Service recommends checking your local forecast regularly and signing up for severe weather alerts.
Before the storm begins, weather experts advise trimming tree branches near your home, securing loose objects outdoors, closing all doors and windows, as well as moving valuable objects inside.
Advisors with PEMCO Insurance also recommend unplugging all sensitive electronics (such as computers and TVs) that could suffer damage during a power surge.
If you have a garage, park your car inside to avoid potential damage from hail and falling branches.
During the storm, NWS urges residents to stay indoors and “pick a safe room in your home such as a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows.” Animals can be particularly affected by thunderstorms, and may also benefit from staying in this room with you.
PEMCO Insurance strongly cautions drivers from using their car as high winds blow through the area. These conditions can cause trees and powerlines to suddenly fall into roads.
“Every year, we receive tragic reports of drivers injured — or worse — when a tree crashes down on their car during heavy winds,” the company said. “If you have no choice, avoid wooded routes and treat dark stoplights as four-way stops.”
If you are driving and suddenly find yourself in a hail storm, pull off the road and be sure to stay away from your car’s windows. PEMCO says large pieces of ice can cause damage and potential injury.
Power outages can be tracked online via the Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, and Clark County Utilities websites. To report an outage, contact your service provider.
Stay with KOIN 6 News as we continue to bring you up-to-date weather coverage.
