Power outage in Seattle downtown shuts down traffic, trains

Lights went out in downtown Seattle, Washington, shutting down light rail and traffic signals. The outage was attributed to a problem at a power sub-station.

According to the city’s Department of Transportation, the area affected is between interstate I-5 and the waterfront, and between Pike Street in the north to Jackson Street in the south.

Seattle City Light blamed “equipment failure and Massachusetts and Union substation” and said the power might be restored by 12:40 pm Pacific time. Lights were back on by 12:35, and the power company said it was “still investigating the cause.”

There was no telling how many people were affected, but the SCL gave the number of approximately 12,000 electric meters.

The Seattle Fire Department reported responding to “numerous fire alarms and elevator rescues” during the outage. Several people reported getting stuck at the Seattle Great Wheel, the 175-foot Ferris wheel located on Pier 57.