Lewis and Clark County has issued an emergency declaration following the destructive winds on Wednesday.
“This storm has caused widespread damage that will take a lot of time and effort to clean up,” said Kyle Sturgill-Simon, Lewis and Clark County Emergency Manager. “The emergency declaration is the first step in getting additional resources to help our community recover.”
MTN has tallied more than 100,000 Montanans who have lost power as a result of destructive winds that hit the Treasure State on Wednesday.
According to Northwestern Energy, over 35,000 customers are without power as winds cause outages and damage across the state. Crews have been out responding and working to bring service back online as soon as possible. NorthWestern Energy advises people to stay away from downed lines and be cautious when clearing debris. Customers can report outages online or call them at 888-467-2669. The most up-to-date information can be found here.
Vigilante Electric Coop, Lincoln Electric Coop, Ravalli County Electric Coop, Missoula Electric Coop, Flathead Electric Coop, Fergus Electric Coop and Sun River Coop are all reporting significant outages with the storm.
Additionally, according to Helena Police, the intersection of Montana and Custer Ave. and the surrounding area are closed due to downed power lines in the road. They are asking the public to avoid the area, with the majority of the area being blocked off.
