Homer Electric Association is still working on bringing power back to members across the Kenai Peninsula after heavy snow fell earlier this week.
About 180 members were still without power as of Thursday morning, a press release from Homer Electric said. More than 3,000 people were without power on Tuesday, which was downgraded to about a thousand on Wednesday, with about 90% of the damage being in Nikiski.
Homer Electric will be flying a helicopter close to power lines to assess damage in Nikiski on Thursday, the release said.
On Wednesday, Homer Electric contracted additional crews and pulled their Homer crews to tackle the outages in the Kenai and Nikiski area.
The forecast calls for likely snow and rain through the weekend and next week, posing a risk for outages caused by snow shedding from power lines and trees, the release said.
The outages began Sunday evening when heavy snow loads came down on the company’s northern service area. Most of the outages were caused by heavy snow weighing down on power lines and nearby trees.
For residents who have been without power, Homer Electric encourages they seek safety and comfort.
“Whether that means purchasing a generator or staying at a family or friend’s residence, please prepare your family with the basic needs and keep emergency supplies during winter storms,” the Dec. 3 release said.
Residents who want to stay up to date on outage notifications can visit Homer Electric’s Facebook page.
The Outage Hotline, 1-888-8OUTAGE (1-888-868-8243), is directly monitored by Homer Electric’s operations department. General questions, contact HEA’s Member Services Department at 1-800-478-8551.
