SPOKANE, WA — Avista Utilities announced Monday that power restoration efforts following last week’s severe windstorm are complete, with crews returning to normal operations after restoring service to more than 80,000 customers across the Inland Northwest.

According to a press release from Avista, the Dec. 17 windstorm caused widespread damage as strong winds knocked trees and limbs into power lines and poles, leading to outages across eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of Oregon. At the height of the storm, tens of thousands of customers were without electricity.

Over a six-day period, more than 500 Avista employees and contract partners worked around the clock to restore service. Crews moved from one heavily impacted area to another, replacing poles, restringing wire and rebuilding damaged infrastructure. Restoration was slowed in some areas by rugged terrain, downed trees, storm debris and hard-to-access locations, the company said.

By 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22, Avista reported that all affected areas had been fully restored. The utility noted that no safety incidents were reported during the restoration process.

Avista officials also pointed to community support during the outage, stating that local organizations provided meals to crews, generators were delivered to some rural communities to provide heat and shelter, and customers shared messages of encouragement during the extended restoration effort.

“We’re incredibly thankful for the resilience of our customers and the dedication of every crew member who worked tirelessly to restore service,” Avista President and CEO Heather Rosentrater said in the release. She added that patience and support from the community played a role in helping crews complete the work safely and efficiently.

Customers are encouraged to update their contact information and sign up for text alerts through Avista’s website to receive timely updates during future outages or severe weather events.