Don’t call 911 when the power goes out in Whatcom. Unless this happens

Storms over the next several days could cause power outages because trees still have most of their leaves and drought-stressed trees and branches are more likely to fall.

But don’t call 911 just because the power is out, Whatcom County officials said recently on social media.

“Soon the wind will be blowing and the trees will be falling. If your power goes out, don’t call 911, call Puget Sound Energy or your local power company,” Whatcom County 911 said on its Facebook page Oct 8.

“If trees are tied up in power lines, call 911. If a tree is down over the roadway, call 911. Tree lands on your house, call 911,” the emergency dispatch service said.

The same goes for urban flooding caused by clogged storm drains or heavy rainfall, said Marty Gray, maintenance superintendent for the Bellingham Public Works Department’s Operations Division.

“We have several people responsible for dealing with those situations. (But if) something gets dispatched through the Police Department, it’s Priority 1,” Gray told The Bellingham Herald.

Bellingham residents can call 360-778-7700 to report urban flooding or downed trees that don’t require a 911 call, he said.

That’s a 24/7 number, but after 4 p.m. and on weekends, there are fewer people on duty. They will return a phone message and dispatch a crew to handle the situation, Gray said.

Meanwhile, anyone can use the city’s online See-Click-Fix service to report non-emergency issues, said Public Works Direct Eric Johnston.

Similarly, Puget Sound Energy has an online reporting tool for customers to let them know when their power is out.

Its online site also includes a map of current outages along with a note regarding the status of repairs.