Puget Sound Energy Encourages Customers to Follow Flood Safety Tips

Road closures due to mudslides, flooding and the threat of avalanches were preventing Puget Sound Energy crews from responding Wednesday to power outages east of Concrete, near Marblemount in the North Cascades, in Lynden and on Crystal Mountain.

PSE is working closely with emergency officials and highway crews to coordinate when utility repair crews can gain safe access to the power-outage sites.

Meanwhile, the utility encourages its electric and natural gas customers with flood damage to follow certain safety tips in case the utility equipment or appliances in their homes become submerged in water.

"Safety is our primary concern, particularly for customers whose homes or businesses have suffered flooding where electrical outlets, natural gas meters and other equipment may be submerged,” said Sue McLain, senior vice president of Operations for PSE.

PSE encourages customers to notify the utility if flooding causes water levels to cover their natural gas meter. The utility needs to check the meter and regulator before any natural gas appliance inside the home or business is used.

The utility also reminds customers to stay out of flooded basements because energized wiring or electrical outlets below the water line may pose a hazard.

PSE recommends these safety tips for flood victims.

If a natural gas furnace has shut down because of flooding, follow these steps:

• call Puget Sound Energy from another location if you smell the odor of natural gas
• shut off the natural gas control valve on the furnace (if safely accessible) and you smell natural gas
• shut off the electric supply to the furnace (if safely accessible) until the water goes down
• make sure flooded natural gas equipment is dried out before scheduling service
• clean up any mud or other material around the area of the furnace

If duct work in a crawl space is full of water:

• shut off the furnace
• do not turn the furnace back on until the ducts are dry
• schedule a service-check on your furnace after the furnace and duct work have dried out and the area around the furnace is cleaned

Customers smelling the odor of natural gas or with natural gas equipment that has been under water should call PSE at 1-888-225-5773 to schedule a service appointment. For additional flood safety tips, visit PSE.com.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission also provides safety information about water damage to electrical and natural gas appliances at http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/FEMA/flood.html.

About Puget Sound Energy

Washington state’s oldest and largest energy utility, with a 6,000-square-mile service area stretching across 11 counties, Puget Sound Energy serves more than 1 million electric customers and nearly 750,000 natural gas customers. PSE, a subsidiary of Puget Energy (NYSE:PSD), meets the energy needs of its growing customer base primarily in Western Washington through incremental, cost-effective energy conservation, procurement of sustainable energy resources, and far-sighted investment in the energy-delivery infrastructure. PSE employees are dedicated to providing great customer service to deliver energy that is safe, reliable, reasonably priced, and environmentally responsible. For more information, visit www.PSE.com.