Despite heavy rain and strong winds, Clark Public Utilities crews worked through the night Monday and Tuesday to restore power to tens of thousands of residents left in the dark due to the storm.
“It was a truly all-hands-on-deck response,” said Dameon Pesanti, media specialist at Clark Public Utilities.
The storm hit its peak Tuesday with nearly 68,000 customers experiencing power outages, according to Pesanti. For most residents, power was restored within a few hours, though some remained without power Wednesday.
“This was definitely the worst storm we have had in a while,” Pesanti said. “It was tough conditions to work in.”
As of noon Wednesday, 641 customers were impacted by 23 power outages throughout Clark County. By 4:30 p.m., 318 customers were impacted by 13 power outages, with the number continuing to decline, according to the Clark Public Utilities website.
During the Tuesday storm, three transmission lines — which provide power to thousands of customers — were hit by trees, according to Pesanti.
On Wednesday, crews focused on smaller line repairs impacting just a few houses.
Clark County Public Works received nearly four dozen calls about storm-related road issues, according to Amber Emery, deputy county manager. Road issues included: two railroad crossing arms being blown off; loss of power to traffic signals; signs being blown down; nearly 20 incidents of trees or tree limbs blocking roads; and more than 10 incidents of flooding or standing water, according to Emery.
As of Wednesday, five of the nine road closures tracked by Clark County Public Works had reopened, Emery said.
Clark County Public Works is working to keep the community updated on closures and other safety information on its Facebook page.
Pesanti urges all households to have an outage kit on hand, filled with three days’ worth of supples in case of emergency. The kits should include: flashlights, batteries, a power bank for electronics, nonperishable foods, a multi-tool, a small radio, a first aid kit, and any specific needs such as medication or pet food.
For more information about creating an emergency preparedness kit, visit www.clarkpublicutilities.com/resources/emergency-preparedness.
To report a power outage, visit www.clarkpublicutilities.com/outages-safety or call 360-992-8000.
