Mason County buried in snow, downed power lines
Jan 3, 2022, 3:37 PM
Local PUD are clearing lines and our crews are removing fallen trees and plowing roads near Hoodsport. (WSDOT tweet)
(WSDOT tweet)
Heavy snow and high winds packed such a punch to Mason County. Now utility crews are having to cut their way through fallen trees on roadways in order to reach downed power lines.
Rain-snow mix may greet Tuesday morning commuters
“It’s a mess,” says Kristin Masteller, General Manager of Mason County PUD-1. “There are poles and lines down. Dozens and dozens of them. The list is ginormous. It’s going to take us a couple days to get to all of those, get them cleaned up and everybody back in service.”
As for the lines, themselves, “Assume they’re energized,” Masteller said. “Don’t go anywhere near them. We’ve had some people ask if they could move them off of their cars and whatnot. NO. Do not touch them.”
Masteller says outside utility crews are coming in to assist in an effort to restore power as soon as possible, but they may have to wait until Tuesday or longer for it to be restored.
Near the 50-mile closure of US 101, SR 119 remains closed near Lake Cushman Golf Course due to downed powerlines. We work with local PUD crews to clear roads and fallen trees so they can fix their lines. There is currently no ETA for reopening SR 119.
— WSDOT Tacoma (@wsdot_tacoma)
There is no ETA for reopening US 101 west of the Hood Canal. Crews are working as fast as safely possible. We received reports of people going beyond closure points/signs from our crews to try and get through. This isn't safe for our crews and causes more delays. (2/3)
— WSDOT Tacoma (@wsdot_tacoma)
