Wind causes LFP black out
Published 12:11 pm Thursday, February 21, 2008
A power outage in Lake Forest Park closed the Towne Centre shopping mall and left 2,250 residents without power for three hours on Dec. 17.
Dan Williams, spokesman for Seattle City Lights, said a tree branch fell on some wires around Bothell Way and Ballinger Way at 175th causing the outage at about 1:10 p.m. Power was restored at 4:17 p.m.
Several of the six traffic lights in Lake Forest Park stopped functioning. The procedures for traffic light outages are standard statewide: all traffic lights that are not operational should be treated as a 4-way stop.
Lake Forest Park police did not direct traffic at these lights because they are on state highways, said city spokeswoman Sarah Philips, in a press release.
“The state Department of Transportation does not want officers on state streets except in the case of an accident. This is to make sure the traffic flows evenly and to provide for officer safety, and officers are often needed in other areas in an emergency situation.” she said.
The power outage provided an opportunity for the city to test its new emergency command center at City Hall. In an earthquake, flood, windstorm or any other emergency, the command center for the police and public works becomes operational, she said.
The emergency generator in City Hall provided power for the police department and the emergency operations. In a major emergency the administrative functions of the city will be closed and all staff will become part of the emergency response team.
