INLAND NORTHWEST – A recent windstorm has caused significant disruptions in the Inland Northwest, drawing comparisons to past severe wind events in the region.
Avista President and CEO Heather Rosentrater shared that this windstorm is similar to those in 2015 and 2021, not only in wind speeds but also in customer impact.
Rosentrater noted that this event had a broader footprint and outages were more widespread. At the peak of the current storm, about 80,000 Avista customers were without power. At the time of this article, 50,000 are still affected.
“The top wind gusts that we saw in 2015 was 71 miles per hour. Then in ’21, we saw 76 miles per hour and we saw over 80 mile per hour wind gusts with this event,” said Rosentrater.
Avista crews are aiming for full power restoration by the end of the weekend. However, the process is being slowed down as Avista’s helicopters are grounded due to strong winds. This means all restoration work is being conducted on foot, so Avista is urging customers to be patient during this time.
More information regarding estimated restoration times is available on Avista’s website.
As the wind event is ongoing, residents are advised to call 911 if they encounter any downed power lines and to keep a safe distance. If there is a smell of gas, it is important to contact the utility company immediately.
