Strong Winds Blows Out Power for Thousands in Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Strong winds have left scores of Oregon and Washington residents without electricity.

In Oregon, electricity for nearly 43,000 Pacific Power customers was cut off by winds around 3:30 a.m. Sunday. Pacific Power spokesman Tom Gauntt says the majority of outages occurred in Astoria, Seaside, and in the Grants Pass area.

Gauntt says that at 7:30 this morning, more than 9,600 remained without power.  The Oregonian reports that more than 18,000 Portland General Electric customers in Clackamas, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington, and Yamhill counties were without power early Sunday.

In Cowlitz County in Washington, high winds struck down power to more than 11,200 homes early Sunday. Hours later, 3,300 of those homes - served by Public Utility District No.1 - were still without power.