Local

Thousands in East Pierce lost power after racoon gets into transmission line

A power outage in East Pierce County is affecting thousands of customers on April 21, 2026.
A power outage in East Pierce County is affecting thousands of customers on April 21, 2026. Puget Sound Energy

Over 6,000 customers in East Pierce County lost power after a racoon got into a transmission line connecting to a substation Tuesday morning.

Customers across Bonney Lake, Sumner and Puyallup were affected. The transmission line was connected to a substation that serves those areas, Gerald Tracy, spokesperson for Puget Sound Energy, told The News Tribune. He said the racoon is still alive.

About 4,153 people did not have power at 8 a.m. in Sumner and Alderton. As of 8:11 a.m., 1,705 customers did not have power in Alderton and power was restored in Sumner.

Tracy anticipates power will be completely restored by 9 a.m.

The City of Sumner posted on X that drivers should treat dark intersections as a 4-way stop.

Cascade Christian Schools Pioneer Campus and McAlder Campus will have a 2-hour delay due to the outages.

Puneet Bsanti
The News Tribune
Puneet Bsanti is a breaking news reporter for The News Tribune. After she graduated from Washington State University in 2023, she was an intern for the Bellingham Herald. She was born and raised in the Bay Area in California.  Support my work with a digital subscription
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER