Power companies hope to repair most lines this weekend, but outages may linger
Among the thousands of residents who remain without power after Tuesday’s massive windstorm is Avista’s chairman and CEO, Scott Morris.
“My feeder is not a priority feeder,” Morris said. “We just prioritize, and that’s how it works.”
As of Friday afternoon, more than 70,000 Avista customers in Spokane County remain without power, and Morris indicated it might take until Monday for many of those in the dark to see their lights come back on. Close to 100 crews were expected to be on the ground by Friday night, as reinforcements arrive from surrounding counties and Western Washington, where storm cleanup is winding down, Morris said.
Crews are prioritizing main arteries of the system before moving into residential areas to repair downed lines, Morris said. The company released a map on Friday of their priority spots, which didn’t include many homes on the South Hill.
Morris said it would take time to repair those areas because most lines are in backyards and larger equipment can’t get there.
“There’s one place on the lower South Hill, kind of off Maple and Monroe, I think there’s 36 poles down,” Morris said. “It’s literally like rebuilding the whole trunk line.”
“You just can’t do that, even in a day,” Morris added.
For some customers in areas where damage is the worst, power might be out through Thanksgiving, Morris said.
“There might be some random, scattered customers, but I can’t say that yet,” Morris said. “It won’t be large swaths. As we get more into this, probably by Sunday, we’ll really know.”
Utility workers from Pacific Gas and Electric in the San Francisco Bay Area and NV Energy based in Reno, Nevada, drove their line trucks to Spokane. They arrived Thursday night, loaded up their trucks with equipment and hit the ground Friday morning.
The linemen from other utilities will be housed in 307 hotel rooms reserved by Avista, where they will rest between 16-hour shifts.
Spokane police Interim Chief Rick Dobrow also is without power. A neighbor’s tree fell into his driveway, narrowly missing his wife’s SUV, he said Friday.
Police are aware of the theft of generators and other items left in unlocked garages and cars, Dobrow said. That includes theft of a few generators that were providing power to traffic lights in the city.
Dobrow urged the community to be vigilant and pay attention to neighboring properties. He said patrol officers were focusing on areas without power.
“This is not a situation where people necessarily need to be fearful,” Dobrow said. “They have to have confidence that we are out there to protect Spokane.”
Single-digit temperatures possible next week
Meanwhile, as if the cold nights and brisk days weren’t enough of a weather challenge for those without power, a new weather threat has appeared on the horizon: snow mixed with rain starting Monday night.
The National Weather Service on Friday said the storm likely will bring light accumulations of snow through Tuesday in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene.
The chance of precipitation was 80 percent. However, a high of 36 to 37 degrees on Tuesday should help break up any accumulation on roadways at lower elevations.
The forecast came at the same time the Climate Prediction Center updated its forecast for a strong El Nino, which is the warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean that affects weather across the U.S.
In its winter outlooks, the center is calling for above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation for the Inland Northwest in December through March.
Past El Nino episodes have also coincided with early winter weather regionally before milder and likely drier conditions take over.
Starting on Wednesday, wind chill temperatures could drop to single digits. Not counting the wind, lows next week could be in the teens.
Thanksgiving Day could be cold, with highs in the upper 20s.
Shelters, schools remain open for warming and meals
Shelters remained open Friday during the day, and meals will be served throughout the weekend at Union Gospel Mission, at 1224 E. Trent Ave. A full list of open shelters has been posted online at the Spokane Regional Health District’s website, srhd.org.
Spokane Public Schools will keep five schools open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday to offer warming, Internet access, outlets for charging and hot meals. The district served more than 2,300 free meals Friday.
The open schools are Ferris High School, 3020 E. 37th; Salk Middle School, 6411 N. Alberta; Shaw Middle School, 4106 N. Cook; Glover Middle School, 2404 W. Longfellow; and Grant Elementary, 1300 E. Ninth.
Breakfast will be served from 9 to 11 a.m. daily and lunch is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Meals are free, but children must be accompanied by an adult.
Volunteers needed to check on residents
Spokane Mayor David Condon urged residents who want to volunteer to visit spokanevolunteer.org, or to call 211. The city is looking for volunteers who want to go door-to-door to check on residents in the hardest-hit areas of town. They will be meeting at the East Central and West Central community centers at 9 a.m. Saturday.
The East Central Community Center is located at 500 S. Stone St. The West Central Community Center is located at 1603 N. Belt St.
Spokane Valley to expedite permits needed for insurance claims
The city of Spokane Valley hoped to have all of the fallen trees that were not tangled in power lines cleared by Friday afternoon. City Manager Mike Jackson said residents could work with the Spokane Valley Permit Center to begin acquiring informational permits needed for insurance claims. Property owners will not be charged a fee for that service, and emergency repairs can be made if a building permit is required on the next working day, Jackson said.
Custer craft show to open a day late
One of the largest craft shows in the region wasn’t able to open Friday due to the power outage at the Spokane County Fair & Expo Center.
However, the show will open Saturday morning at 9 a.m. following the recent restoration of power. Custer’s 39th Annual Christmas Arts and Crafts Show features 300 vendors from around the country spreading over 78,000 square feet of exhibit space.
The show hours are Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Don’t burn wood indoors if you don’t have to
Unhealthy levels of air pollution from wood smoke are expected in Spokane County throughout the weekend, according to the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency.
Indoor wood heating will continue to be allowed throughout Spokane County during the power outage under a state of emergency exemption, officials said. But agency officials are encouraging residents with other heat sources to cut back or stop wood burning until air quality improves.
The clean air agency has temporarily restricted all outdoor burning.
The air is not expected to clear until Monday, when a low-pressure system moves into the region.
For more information, contact the clean air agency at (509) 477-4727 or visit www.spokanecleanair.org
$1 tickets to “La Boheme” for those without power
Spokane area residents who are without power this weekend are invited to enjoy the warmth of the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox and a performance of the opera “La Boheme” – for $1.
The symphony has a limited number of $1 tickets available for Saturday’s 8 p.m. performance and Sunday’s 3 p.m. performance. The deeply discounted tickets are only available at The Fox box office, 1001 W. Sprague Ave., to those who mention this offer. The symphony suggests the show is appropriate for audiences age 12 and older.
The performance will feature the full symphony performing along with artists from Opera Coeur d’Alene and the Spokane Symphony Chorale. “La Boheme” is Giacomo Puccini’s beloved story of young artists finding love and tragedy along Paris’ Left Bank.
Regular tickets are $25 to $54 and available through the Fox and all TicketsWest outlets.
Sons of Norway dinner rescheduled
The Sons of Norway’s annual Lutefisk Dinner has been rescheduled because the church where it was to be held Saturday is without power.
The dinner will be held Sat., Dec. 5. in the same location, at the same times. That’s All Saints Lutheran Church, 314 S. Spruce St. The hours are noon to 1:30 p.m. and 2-3:30 p.m.
Tickets purchased for the original date are transferable to the rescheduled event. For information, call (509) 326-9211.
This story was reported by Kip Hill, Mike Prager, Nina Culver, Carolyn Lamberson and Becky Kramer.