Horizon View Growing Weary Of Power Outages

A Horizon View resident named Debbie reached out with the following:

I live in the Horizon View area. I had a power outage last Friday, 10/24. Saturday, 10/25 and today, 11/1.

I have lived here for 37 years and can't count the number of times my power has gone off.I can't reach anyone at City Light to discuss this, I even call City Hall to ask if they could reach out to City Light on this problem.

No answers so far.

I imagine my neighbors are getting tired of this as well. My house was 54 degrees when the power finally came on. I don't understand why our neighborhood can't be tired to another power grid to possibly prevent this from happening so often. If this is due to tree branches  I would like to know. I see the trees down my hill being trimmed every year, so I don't know that this is the cause. I would like to know what is and if this is a vulnerable part of the wiring and why it can't be fixed.

Is this something you can help with?

The City contracts with tree services to trim around power lines every year. I've noticed that when they trim along my property line, I'd call it light trimming. If I were personally trying to reduce the potential problem, I'd cut a lot more aggressively. In fact, my go-to "trimming" tool is one of several electric chainsaws, much to my wife's dismay. 

However, the problem appears to be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. No matter how much trimming is done, there's always a chance that a branch falls from higher up that strikes the line or an entire tree falls or splits like the one on the Goat Trail the other day.

City Light has a contact page that would be worth utilizing. If enough people from the same neighborhood get in touch, it may result in your area receiving more attention than it has in the past. Click on the link, then look for "General Inquiry - City Light: https://seattle-cwiprod.motorolasolutions.com/cwi/select

Changing weather patterns are also a significant factor. In 2025, our area received 19 inches less rainfall than average. Less rain equates to weaker trees and root systems, which increases power line strikes.

In 2025, Seattle has recorded just 19.97 inches since January 1, which is below the normal average of 27.31 inches for that period. Comparatively, the city typically averages around 39.34 inches of precipitation annually, with most falling as rain rather than snow, indicating that 2025 is experiencing a drier year so far compared to historical averages. seattleweatherblog.com climatestations.com

Emergency Power

If you don't have a battery backup, there are several options available, depending on your budget. As a former disaster preparedness instructor, overland (off-grid, boondocker, dry camper) traveler, and long-time member of HAM disaster communications groups, I'll share with you how I prepare at home without spending thousands of dollars. 

I can power the kitchen frig, large upright freezer, TV, several LED lights, and the gas fireplace fan from a 1,200 watt gas generator that costs $160. It only has one outlet, so an extension cord is run into the house (if you don't have a cat or dog door, you'll need to go through a window and use painter's tape to seal the gap), then into a surge protector with lots of cords coming off of that. Run the cords along the room perimeter and use painter's tape or area rugs (even towels) to prevent them from becoming trip hazards. 

Some of these clamp lights, equipped with low-voltage LED bulbs, make it easy to place them strategically around the house. A 60-watt equivalent light bulb only draws about 9 watts from your generator.  The gas and oil (which come premeasured from hardware stores) need to be filled about every 8 hours. 

You should also consider a power station which can be charged off the generator. It doesn't have to be connected to the generator all the time and will provide 300 watts of power. I also use mine for overlanding, and it will last two nights before needing a charge. These can also be purchased in much higher power ranges. Some people buy a huge and expensive version, then use the generator only for a couple of hours every couple of days to recharge it. It's a good approach, but it comes at a higher cost. 

Feel free to reach out with your specific situation, and I'll be happy to share my insights. There are a lot of variables. For example, I have a gas hot water tank, stove, and fireplace, so I don't need to power those things. I also have Starlink internet, as cell towers can get overloaded during outages because everyone in the area is using cell data. 

Rainfall in Seattle: 2025 vs Previous Years

Annual Rainfall Comparison

Monthly Rainfall Overview for 2025

Summary of Rainfall Trends

• 2025 has seen significantly lower total rainfall compared to previous years, particularly when compared to 2024 and 2022.
• The number of rainy days in 2025 is also lower than in the previous two years, indicating drier conditions overall.
• Monthly rainfall in 2025 shows a notable decrease, especially in the summer months, which typically receive less rain.

This data highlights a trend of reduced precipitation in Seattle for 2025 compared to the previous years, contributing to a drier climate in the region.