Update 12/27 @ 8:30 am
NW Natural has completed restoration of its system to customers in Hood River and White Salmon, in the largest outage the company has experienced in 65 years.
The outage was caused by a vehicle crash into a Williams NW Pipeline facility from which NW Natural gets gas to serve to customers. The accident occurred late last Sunday night (12/20) and effected about 5,500 customers in White Salmon and Hood River.
NW Natural was aided in its response through mutual assistance and deployed the maximum qualified technicians possible from several states, who worked extended hours every evening, including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and through inclement weather conditions.
For customers who were not available the first-time crews visited their home or business, a yellow door hanger was left with instructions to call for service restoration. Those customers need to call 800-882-3377 to reschedule a return visit to the customer’s location.
To temporarily help customers in need, NW Natural gave away about 2,200 portable heaters, 1,100 blankets and hotel accommodations at eight local hotels.
Thanks
NW Natural thanks utility partners Avista, Cascade/Intermountain and Puget Sound Energywho provided mutual assistance. Thanks also to Williams NW Pipeline, Hood River Sheriff Department Emergency Management, Klickitat County Emergency, and a myriad of public, private and nonprofit partners.
We are most grateful to our customers for their patience during this difficult event and appreciate their many positive comments and thanks shown in storefronts, posted on social media, left in notes on employee vehicles, and even treats handed to our technicians. We are so appreciative of the kindness and gratitude from our customers in what was a very challenging time for them.
Update 12/25 @ 7:30 pm
Our crews continue to work in Hood River tonight and will be out until 10 p.m. if they do not reach your home by then, we are bringing in even more personnel tomorrow to start work very early.
Please check our list of hotels from the previous update below if you need other shelter tonight:
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Update 12/25 @ 9:15 am
This Christmas morning, NW Natural continues to turn on meters and relight equipment for customers without service in Hood River and Odell. We expect to reach every customer by the end of the evening. Some customers will have to be revisited a second or third time over the weekend if they are not home today.
We have more than 85 people working today and will have more than 100 working through the weekend to complete the job. Our crews and their vehicles are prepared to deal with the inclement weather.
NW Natural remains grateful to our utility partners Avista, Cascade/Intermountain and Puget Sound Energywho are providing mutual assistance. All workers will carry ID when they arrive at customer homes and will follow COVID-19 safety protocols as usual.
A reminder that customers should not relight their equipment but wait for NW Natural to do this.If a customer is not home, we will leave a door hanger with a phone number that they can call to schedule a time that works, typically that same day.
Service has been restored to the 1,500 customers in White Salmon and Bingen.
Heaters and Blankets
| In the past three days, NW Natural handed out about 2,200 portable heaters and 1,100 blankets to customers in need. We will let customers know if distribution will occur again tomorrow. |
Update 12/24 @ 10:00 am
Service restoration
This morning, NW Natural crews expect to have reached all customers in White Salmon and Bingen to turn on meters and relight appliances.
For Hood River and Odell, we will begin turning meters back on and relighting equipment today. This will occur systematically in phases and may take several days. Here is a map with the plan for restoration which will be updated periodically: https://www.nwnatural.com/-/media/nwnatural/pdfs/external_restoration_map.pdf
We have more than 100 people working today and crews will be working tomorrow on Christmas day and through the weekend. NW Natural is joined by Avista, Cascade/Intermountain and Puget Sound Energy, the utilities providing mutual assistance. All workers will carry ID when they arrive at customer homes and will follow COVID-19 safety protocols as usual.
Customers should not relight their equipment but wait for NW Natural to do this.If a customer is not home, we will leave a door hanger with a phone number that they can call to schedule a time that works, typically that same day.
Update 12/23 @ 3:00 pm
Service restoration
NW Natural crews continue to make progress today turning on meters and relighting appliances for about 1,500 customers in White Salmon and Bingen. We expect to have reached every home or business by tomorrow morning.
For Hood River and Odell, today we worked to turn off customer meters and prepare our system for gas supply. We expect to start turning meters back on and relighting equipment tomorrow. Because there are 4,000 customers, the restoration process will occur systematically in phases and may take several days. Here is a map with the plan for restoration: https://www.nwnatural.com/-/media/nwnatural/pdfs/external_restoration_map.pdf
We have about 150 people working on this today and tomorrow, and they will continue to work on Christmas Day. Customers should not relight their equipment but wait for NW Natural to do this. If a customer is not home, we will leave a door hanger with a phone number that they can call to schedule a time that works, typically that same day.
A reminder that customers may see employees wearing badges from NW Natural, or from Avista, Cascade/Intermountain or Puget Sound Energy, the utilities providing mutual assistance. All workers will carry ID when they arrive at customer homes and will follow COVID-19 safety protocols as usual.
Update: 12/23 @ 9:30 am
| NW Natural, in coordination with Hood River County Sheriff Emergency Management, Klickitat County Emergency, and other agencies and partners, is offering assistance with hotel rooms, portable heaters and blankets to natural gas customers who remain without service due to the car accident into Williams NW Pipeline district regulator station. Heaters and blankets: Customers seeking free portable heaters and blankets can receive them at temporary distribution centers at 1825 May Street in Hood River (across from the Fire Department) or 119 NE Church Avenue in White Salmon (White Salmon Fire Department), both will be open from 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. today. Hotels: NW Natural customers needing a place to stay should contact any of the following hotels for a room. Please bring a copy of your gas bill or proof of address and lodging expenses will be covered by NW Natural. Best Western Hood River 1108 E Marina Way, Hood River, OR 97031. (541) 386-2200 Hampton Inn Hood River Nichols Pkwy, Hood River, OR 97031(541) 436-1600 Holiday Inn Express Hood River 2625 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR 97031(541) 308-1000 Columbia Cliff Villas Hotel Hood River 3880 Westcliff Drive Hood River, OR 97031 (541) 436-2660 Best Western Cascade Locks 735 Wanapa St, Cascade Locks, OR 97014(541) 374-8777 Holiday Inn Express The Dalles 2920 W 6th St, The Dalles, OR 97058(541) 370-2450 The Dalles Shilo Inn 3223 Bret Clodfelter Way, The Dalles, OR 97058(541) 298-5502 Motel 6 The Dalles 2014 W 7th St, The Dalles, OR 97058 541-296-1191 This list will be updated on nwnatural.com periodically. Transportation: For customers seeking transportation to lodging, please call the Hood River County Emergency Management Hotline: 541-387-6911 for English and 541-387-7080 for Spanish. This hotline will be staffed from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. today, Wed. Dec. 23. Service restoration: NW Natural crews will continue to restore gas service today in White Salmon-Bingen. We also expect to start the restoration process to customers in Hood River-Odell. This will occur in a phased approach and could take several days. Here is a map with the plan for restoration: https://www.nwnatural.com/-/media/nwnatural/pdfs/external_restoration_map.pdfWhen we restore service, NW Natural technicians go door-to-door to affected customers. Customers do not need to do anything. Customers should not relight their equipment but wait to be contacted by NW Natural. If a customer is not home, we will leave a door hanger with a phone number that they can call to schedule a time that works, typically that same day. We have brought in extra crews and are working as quickly as possible. We’re also receiving additional assistance from other utilities through a mutual assistance program. Customers may see employees wearing badges from NW Natural, Avista, Cascade/Intermountain or Puget Sound Energy. All workers will carry ID when they arrive at customer homes and will follow COVID-19 safety protocols as usual.NW Natural will continue to provide updates. Follow us on Twitter @nwnatural and visit www.nwnatural.com. |
Update: 12/22 @ 10:30 am
| This morning, NW Natural crews are beginning the process to restore gas service to about 1,500 customers in White Salmon-Bingen. We expect to be able to start able to start the restoration process to about 4,000 customers in Hood River-Odell tomorrow (Wednesday), which will occur in a phased approach and could take several days. We are working with Williams NW Pipeline, which is repairing damage to its district regulator station after a vehicle crashed into it late Sunday night. Because of the accident, the Williams’ gas line was shut down, and NW Natural’s 5,500 customers in the White Salmon-Hood River area lost service. NW Natural’s schedule is dependent on when Williams completes repairs. When we can begin restoring service, NW Natural technicians will be going door-to-door to affected customers. Customers do not need to do anything. Customers should not relight their equipment but wait to be contacted by NW Natural. If a customer is not home, we will leave a door hanger with a phone number that they can call to schedule a time that works, typically that same day. We have brought in extra crews and are working as quickly as possible to restore service. We’re also receiving additional assistance from other utilities through a mutual assistance program. Customers may see employees wearing badges from NW Natural, Avista, Cascade or Puget Sound Energy. All workers will carry ID when they arrive at customer homes and will follow COVID-19 safety protocols as usual. NW Natural distributed blankets to customers from the Hood River Fire Department last night and will communicate plans for additional resources/distributions later today. NW Natural will continue to provide updates this afternoon. Follow us on Twitter @nwnatural and visit www.nwnatural.com. |
Media Alert, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, 6:40 p.m.
Natural gas customers in White Salmon-Bingen, Washington and Hood River-Odell, Oregon are experiencing loss of gas service after a vehicle crashed into a district regulator station around 11:50 p.m. Sunday night.
The district regulator is owned by Williams NW Pipeline Company, which provides gas to NW Natural. NW Natural serves about 5,500 customers in the Hood River and White Salmon area. Because of the vehicle accident, the Williams’ gas line has been shut down.
Consequently, NW Natural customers are experiencing a disruption in service since early Monday morning. NW Natural has been at the Williams’ site as they work to bring their system back online. Right now, it’s estimated that NW Natural may be able to start restoring service to its customers in White Salmon on Tuesday. It’s estimated we may begin restoring service to customers in Hood River on Wednesday.
In both cases, service technicians will go to every meter to turn it off. Then, we will reintroduce gas to the system. Then we will go door-to-door to restore service.
Customers do not need to do anything. Customers should not relight their equipment but wait to be contacted by NW Natural. If a customer is not home, we will leave a door hanger with a phone number that they can call to schedule a time that works, typically that same day.
Service restoration is a long process and fortunately outages on the gas system are rare. But the weather forecast shows cold temperatures tonight, which is why NW Natural apologizes for the inconvenience and has brought in extra crews who will be working as quickly as possible to restore service. Many employees have volunteered to give up their holiday vacations to come in and work.
We are also receiving additional assistance from about 40 technicians from other utilities through a mutual assistance program. Customers may see employees wearing badges from NW Natural, Avista, Cascade or Puget Sound Energy. All workers will carry ID when they arrive at customer homes and will follow COVID-19 safety protocols as usual.
NW Natural is also working with partners such as the Red Cross to provide emergency blankets for the most vulnerable this evening. These items will be available to pick up from 10 p.m. to midnight at the Hood River Fire Department: 1785 Meyer Parkway, Hood River, OR, 97031.
NW Natural will continue to provide updates. Follow us @nwnatural and visit www.nwnatural.com.
12/21 Noon Update:
Media Alert, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, Noon
Natural gas customers in White Salmon, Washington and Hood River, Oregon are experiencing loss of gas service after a vehicle crashed into a district regulator station around 11:50 p.m. last night.
The district regulator is owned by Williams NW Pipeline Company, which provides gas to NW Natural. NW Natural serves about 5,000 customers in the Hood River and White Salmon area. Because of the vehicle accident, the Williams’ gas line has been shut down.
Consequently, NW Natural customers are experiencing a disruption in service. NW Natural is at the site with Williams as they work to bring their system back online. Right now, it is estimated that NW Natural may be able to start restoring service to its customers in White Salmon tomorrow. It’s estimated we may begin restoring service to customers in Hood River on Wednesday.
Technicians will be going door-to-door to affected customers to restore service. Customers do not need to do anything right now. Customers should not relight their equipment but wait to be contacted by NW Natural.
The weather forecast shows cold temperatures overnight, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience the gas outtage may cause customers. Please know we have brought in extra crews and will be working as quickly as possible to restore service. Be sure to check our website where we plan to post a list of resources for customers in need.
NW Natural will continue to provide updates. Follow us @nwnatural and visit www.nwnatural.com.
Original post:
Natural gas customers in White Salmon, Washington and Hood River, Oregon may experience loss of gas service after a vehicle crashed into a district regulator station around 11:50 p.m. last night.
The district regulator is owned by Williams NW Pipeline Company, which provides gas to NW Natural. NW Natural serves about 5,000 customers in the Hood River and White Salmon area. Because of the vehicle accident, the Williams’ gas line has been shut down.
Consequently, NW Natural customers this morning are expected to experience a disruption in service. NW Natural is working with emergency officials to determine the impact to customers and on a plan to reactivate gas service.
At this time, there’s no estimate of when service will be restored. Customers do not need to do anything right now. Customers should not relight their equipment but wait to be contacted by NW Natural. Technicians will go door-to-door to affected customers to restore service.
NW Natural will continue to provide updates. Follow us @nwnatural and visit www.nwnatural.com.