SPOKANE, WA — Avista crews are continuing assessment and restoration efforts across the Inland Northwest after a powerful windstorm caused widespread power outages early Wednesday morning.
As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, approximately 71,600 Avista electric customers were without power across the region, with more than 916 separate outage incidents reported. Avista said wind speeds during the storm rivaled those recorded during the historic January 2021 windstorm.
Outages began around 5 a.m. as strong winds combined with saturated ground conditions, toppling trees into power lines and equipment. Avista reported extensive damage to both transmission and distribution systems due to fallen trees and debris.
All available Avista resources are responding, including 45 line crews, six contract line crews, and 40 vegetation management crews. Crews are working around the clock as conditions allow, though officials say assessments may take 24 hours or longer in some areas because of the scale of damage. Restoration could take multiple days, and estimated restoration times are not yet available.
“All available crews and resources are dedicated to assessing damage and restoring power,” said Paul Good, Avista’s director of operations. “We will share estimated restoration times as soon as assessments are complete”.
Avista emphasized safety during outages, urging residents to treat all downed power lines as energized. Customers are advised to stay clear of downed or sagging lines, avoid driving over them, and never attempt to remove tree limbs from power lines. Downed power lines should be reported to 911 and Avista immediately.
During restoration, Avista prioritizes critical infrastructure such as transmission lines, substations, and emergency facilities, including hospitals. Crews then work to restore service to larger distribution lines before addressing individual neighborhood outages, which may result in some customers having power restored before nearby homes.
Customers can report outages and check updates through Avista’s outage map, mobile app, or by calling (800) 227-9187. Avista noted higher-than-normal call volumes and longer hold times during the response effort.
