Area customers lose power for up to 18 hours

The Flathead Electric Cooperative reports that 43 power outages impacting 13,374 customers took place this weekend starting on Saturday, Nov. 29, around 2:30 a.m., as strong winds from a powerful arctic storm toppled trees across the valley.

Ten of those outages occurred in the Columbia Falls area, with five more occurring on Sunday, Nov. 30. Power was out in portions of Columbia Falls, but not for the entire city.

“All of our crews were out working around the clock in very dangerous conditions, with trees blowing down everywhere and wind snapping lines,” Co-op spokesperson Wendy Ostrom-Price said. “This week will see repairs and clean up.”

She called it the worst storm the Co-op has dealt with since a summer storm in 2007.

In the Columbia Falls area, 837 Co-op customers on Club Lane lost power for 17 hours, about 30 customers on Rogers Road lost power for 18 hours, and 44 customers on Columbia Mountain Road lost power for 14 hours.

“The remainder of the outages impacted fewer members and for shorter periods of time,” Ostrom-Price said, including Co-op customers on Hilltop Road, Monte Vista Way, Rocky Lane, Tamarack Lane, Berne Road, Windy Ridge and Columbia Falls Stage Road.

“Hardest hit in our service territory was West Glacier, Essex, Canyon, Libby and the North Valley, including Whitefish, but we experienced outages in Lakeside and Kalispell and other areas as well,” she said.

For information on current outages, visit online at www.flatheadelectric.com and click on “Outage Viewer.”