It's So Windy That the National Weather Service Says You Shouldn't Park Under Trees Today

Nearly 160,000 PGE customers are without power this morning, 30+ trees are down, and even the zoo is closed.

(Bob Heye/KATU-TV)
By Sophia June

If you've been perplexed about why the Portland General Electric phone number has been busy the entire morning, you're not the only one.

Nearly 160,000 PGE customers are without power this morning, including 13,065 customers in Multnomah County. The area hit the hardest? Washington County with 64,104 customers without power. Eleven Portland Public Schools have also reported power outages. 

Power is also out at the Trail Blazers practice facility, but Terry Stotts still showed up to work.

The Aerial Tram is currently closed, and the Oregon Zoo will remain closed all day.

The National Weather Service—whose line was also busy—is urging drivers not to park under trees today, warning that winds in the valley could reach 50 mph. On the coast, winds could reach up to 70 mph.

According to National Weather Service wind report as of 9 am, the peak gust in Portland had hit 56 mph. 

As of 10:30 am, meteorologist Gerald Macke confirmed that NWS is still seeing 56 mph gusts.

"It's not going to change a whole lot," Macke says. "We're at the peak pretty much. It's going to blow pretty much during the morning here and start dropping off. It'll slowly start dropping down in the afternoon to 35 mph; it will still be on the windy side this afternoon."

Macke says the Portland area hasn't seen gusts like this since March 2015.

According to the Portland Bureau of Transportation, there are more than 30 reports of downed trees citywide, mostly in Southeast Portland.

Reporter Bob Heye from WW's news partner KATU-TV took this photo, which really says it all:

If you see a downed power line, the Portland Bureau of Transportation says to call 9-1-1 and then call your power company.

Or you can follow in the footsteps of the hero man who tried to take matters into his own hands:

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