LEWISTON, ID – Power has been restored to more than 10,000 members served by Clearwater Power, with approximately 800 members still without electricity as of 8 a.m. Tuesday, according to an update from the utility.
The outages stem from severe weather that moved through the region early Wednesday morning, Dec. 17, bringing wind gusts exceeding 80 miles per hour. Clearwater Power reported that the storm caused widespread damage to equipment, substations, and every main distribution line across its electric system, resulting in simultaneous outages throughout its service area.
In response, the cooperative has expanded restoration efforts by bringing in 16 contracted and cooperative line crews, along with additional vegetation management crews. Those teams are working alongside Clearwater Power’s own linemen and field engineers to assess damage, clear debris, and make repairs.
Crews were working Tuesday in multiple locations across the service territory, including Gifford, Cedar Ridge, Freeman Creek, Teaken Butte, Troy, Deary, Park Ranch, Cooks Grade, Hanks Grade, Cloverland, areas outside of St. Maries, Santa, Grangemont Road, Devil’s Elbow and Old Ahsahka Grade, Texas Ridge, and surrounding areas.
Clearwater Power serves an average of three to four members per mile of power line across more than 3,000 miles of infrastructure. The cooperative’s service territory spans 11 counties in three states and covers more than 5,000 square miles, much of it in rural areas.
The utility said its online outage map provides the most current information available, but restoration times remain estimates and may change as crews continue to patrol lines and evaluate damage. In some cases, members may need to hire licensed electricians to repair member-owned equipment before service can be safely restored.
Members can report outages through SmartHub or by calling 208-743-1501. Safety concerns should also be reported to that number, which is staffed 24 hours a day.
Clearwater Power reminded the public to stay clear of downed power lines, always assume lines are energized, and never attempt to remove trees or debris from power lines.
