Thunderstorms Cause Power Outages Across Bend Neighborhoods

On Saturday evening, intense thunderstorms swept through Bend, Oregon, bringing thunder, lightning, and heavy rain that led to power outages in several neighborhoods.

The storms began around sunset and continued intermittently into the night, prompting weather alerts and keeping first responders and utility crews busy.

In Southwest Bend, over 390 customers were left without power due to the extreme weather.

Pacific Power crews are working to restore electricity and estimate full service will return by midnight.

Meanwhile, a separate outage is affecting around 90 customers near NE 18th Street and Cooley Road.

Pacific Power says electricity for those residents is expected to be restored between now and 10:30 p.m.

No major damage or injuries have been reported as of yet, but authorities urge residents to stay indoors during periods of lightning and be prepared for potential additional outages as storms continue to move through the region.

Stay with us for updates as conditions evolve.

In recent months, Bend has experienced multiple power outages due to various causes. In June 2025, nearly 2,000 Pacific Power customers on Bend's north end lost power due to the utility's "enhanced safety settings" designed to reduce wildfire risk. These settings can lead to more frequent and longer outages during fire season. ([ktvz.com](https://ktvz.com/news/bend/2025/06/12/pacific-power-outage-hits-nearly-2000-customers-in-northern-bend-crews-investigating/?utm_source=openai))

Additionally, in August 2024, a squirrel caused a power outage affecting thousands of homes in Bend. The incident occurred when the animal entered a substation, leading to a fuse blowout and subsequent service disruption. ([bendbulletin.com](https://bendbulletin.com/2024/08/07/power-outage-impacting-thousands-of-homes-in-bend-caused-by-squirrel/?utm_source=openai))

Residents are encouraged to stay informed about local weather conditions and to have emergency plans in place for potential power outages. Pacific Power advises customers to report outages and stay updated through their official channels.