Outage Updates

Posted: July 25, 2024

9:30 a.m. – Wednesday, July 31

Timelines and priorities are subject to change. Members can now expect one daily update. 

Mullan Road

Traffic control is in place as crews continue their work along Mullan Road. Large bucket trucks, equipment and slowed traffic can be expected.

The Potelco crew continues the final phase of restoration 47 meters east of Kona Ranch Road along Snowdrift Lane. This phase is complicated, as it includes the replacement of broken poles and line that was damaged by vehicles post-storm. We anticipate completion on Friday should no complications arise.

If you live in this area and your home is still without power, you are not likely to see restoration until this phase is complete. Thank you for your continued patience. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our office.

Please call our office at 406.541.4433 for the following:

• You are still without power
• You have damaged lines or equipment on/near your property that require repair
• To report trees or tree limbs leaning on or near our power lines
• To report storm-damaged equipment debris remaining in rights of way

What Lies Ahead

Post-storm efforts have only just begun. We continue to receive reports of weakened trees and tree limbs threatening our lines. Not only are trees a hazard to our members and equipment, but they also threaten system reliability and increase fire risk. Additional tree trimming crews have joined us to address impacted areas.

As always, your patience and support is appreciated as we continue our restoration efforts and post-storm cleanup.

10 a.m. – Tuesday, July 30

Timelines and priorities are subject to change. Members can now expect one daily update. 

Mullan Road

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT TRAFFIC CONTROL IS IN PLACE AS CREWS WORK ALONG MULLAN ROAD. PLEASE CONSIDER USING AN ALTERNATE ROUTE DURING OUR CONSTRUCTION IF IT IS AN OPTION.

At approximately 8:30 p.m. last night, the main line along Mullan Road was reenergized to Kona Ranch Road. Approximately 50% of our members west of Kona Ranch Road were re-energized, and crews will return first thing this morning to complete this work.

This morning, the Potelco crew will begin the final phase of restoration impacting approximately 47 meters* east of Kona Ranch Road. This section will be more complicated. In addition to replacing broken poles, much of the wire was damaged by vehicles driving over it after the storm, and will need to be replaced. We expect this section of line to be completed Friday. The area impacted by this section of line is along Snowdrift Lane.

Please keep the safety of yourself and our crews in mind as you travel this stretch of road. Large bucket trucks, equipment and slowed traffic can be expected. If you live in this area and your home is still without power, you are not likely to see restoration until this phase of rebuilding is complete.

Clinton Area

Earlier this morning we received notice from NorthWestern Energy that their transmission line, which feeds our Clinton Substation, went offline. We are currently monitoring the situation and will perform necessary switching if they expect an extended outage.

OTHER THAN THE LOCATIONS MENTIONED ABOVE, ALL OUTAGES ON OUR SYSTEM HAVE BEEN RESTORED. IF YOU ARE STILL WITHOUT POWER OR IF YOU HAVE POWER BUT HAVE DAMAGED LINES OR EQUIPMENT THAT HAS YET TO BE REPAIRED, PLEASE CALL 406.541.4433.

What You Can Expect In The Coming Weeks

Our work to recover from this event is far from complete. We continue to receive numerous reports of trees and tree limbs threatening our powerlines. Not only are trees a hazard to our members and equipment, but they also threaten system reliability and increase fire risk should they contact our lines. We are mobilizing crews today to begin patrolling impacted areas and have contacted additional tree trimming crews for assistance. If you have or know of trees that are threatening our powerlines, please call the office and file a report.

As always, your patience and support is appreciated as we continue our restoration efforts and post-storm cleanup.

*meters requiring attention have been adjusted slighty since 10 a.m.

11 a.m. – Monday, July 29

Timelines and priorities are subject to change.

Power was fully restored to the Potomac area after the storm, but unfortunately, another outage occurred overnight. A crew has been dispatched to patrol the line and restore power.

The Cooperative’s payment line is currently down. If you need to make a payment, please stop by our office to pay by cash, check or credit card.

We are happy to report that when the crews went on a rest period last night, every possible meter on our system had been restored. For the remaining members without power, we thank you for your continued support and patience.

What to expect in the coming days:

• After storms of this magnitude, trees often become weakened. This means that trees and tree limbs may fall onto powerlines, resulting in spotty outages.
• We may need to briefly shut off portions of our grid to normalize the system.
• All power was restored to the Seeley Lake area following the storm; however, a crew is in the area to finish storm-related work on the transmission lines.

MEC members and our surrounding community have been exceptionally supportive of our team during these challenging times. We thank you for your patience, understanding and kindness! We are blown away by the treats, messages and words of appreciation.

Please see the 8:30 p.m. Sunday evening update for area-specific updates and today’s plan.

8:30 p.m. – Sunday, July 28

Timelines and priorities are subject to change.

We have said this before, but we will say it again, our crews and those that have come to our aid have done an amazing job to restore power to our members. Flathead Electric Cooperative, Inland Power and Light, Lincoln Electric Cooperative, Mission Valley Power, Ravalli Electric Cooperative, Vigilante Electric Cooperative, and Potelco, along with our own crews, have faced extremely challenging conditions and exceeded our expectations given the damage from Wednesday’s storm.

This has been an all hands on deck event, and much work has gone on behind the scenes to make progress happen in the field. Our staff has fielded countless calls, emails and Facebook messages, delivered meals to crews, and supported the effort in any way possible. Our engineering staff has worked tirelessly to design new structures for those damaged in the field, dispatched crews efficiently and safely, and monitored our Outage Management System. Our warehouse staff ensured that material was available for the crews when they needed it. Every available employee was part of this process, and we couldn’t have gotten this far without their dedication to the Co-op and its members.

We have come a long way in a short period of time, but we are not over the finish line yet. We are still working diligently to get remaining members restored as soon as possible while maintaining a focus on safety.

Here is an update from today:

Mullan Road

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT TRAFFIC CONTROL IS IN PLACE AS CREWS WORK ALONG MULLAN ROAD. PLEASE CONSIDER USING AN ALTERNATE ROUTE DURING OUR CONSTRUCTION.

Every meter that can be energized west of town is back in power. We currently have 201 meters out that await reconstruction of this major line. The damaged area is divided into two sections: east of Kona Ranch Road, and west of Kona Ranch Road. Construction began from the west, and Potelco has made great progress in getting the west section complete. Tomorrow they will be joined by two additional crews that will assist in replacing damaged poles. At the same time, crews will finish patrolling and repairing any damaged lines in the west section and will make all connections to the new poles. Once this work is complete, we can energize and restore power to all meters west of Kona Ranch Road. Our goal is to complete this work by Tuesday.

This process will be repeated east of Kona Ranch Road. The only neighborhood served by this section of line is along Snowdrift Lane, and this will be reenergized as soon as possible.

Please keep the safety of yourself and our crews in mind as you travel this stretch of road. Large bucket trucks, equipment and slowed traffic can be expected.

If you live in this area and your home is without power, you are not likely to see restoration until this phase of rebuilding is complete.

Lolo West (Highway 12 to Idaho)

Four meters remain without power in Lolo Creek West, and two crews are currently working to restore them.

Condon North

Late this afternoon, crews identified six meters without power in two locations north of Condon. The cause of both outages is bad underground cable, and the Seeley Lake crew is onsite making repairs.

ASIDE FROM THE LOCATIONS MENTIONED ABOVE, ALL OUTAGES HAVE BEEN RESTORED. 

IF YOU ARE STILL WITHOUT POWER OR IF YOU HAVE POWER BUT HAVE DAMAGED LINES OR EQUIPMENT THAT HAS YET TO BE REPAIRED, PLEASE CALL 406.541.4433.

As always, your patience and support is appreciated as we continue our restoration efforts.

9:30 a.m. – Sunday, July 28

Timelines and priorities are subject to change.

As of this morning, the outage count is below 500 meters. 

Mullan Road

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT TRAFFIC CONTROL IS IN PLACE AS CREWS WORK ALONG MULLAN ROAD. CONSIDER USING AN ALTERNATE ROUTE DURING CONSTRUCTION.

Work continues along Mullan Road and will last for several days. Potelco began the work of setting poles yesterday, and we are currently making plans for loading and hauling broken poles and debris scattered along the roadway once all power has been restored.

Please keep the safety of yourself and our crews in mind as you travel this stretch of road. Large bucket trucks, equipment and slowed traffic can be expected.

If you live in this area and your home is without power, you are not likely to see restoration until this phase of rebuilding is complete.

Big Flat Road and Kona Ranch

Yesterday, crews made the majority of repairs to the main line at the corner of Big Flat Road and Kona Ranch. If all goes according to plan, they expect to reenergize Stillwaters to Sherman Gulch Road later today.

Once completed, they will turn their attention to the adjacent neighborhood along Virginia Drive which saw significant damage. Once repairs to the main line are made, we are hopeful it can be reenergized.

Evaro

A crew completed the repairs along Evaro Rd. yesterday. They are returning to Indreland Rd. this morning to replace a broken pole.

Frenchtown

All repairs on the main line feeding Marcure Ln. and across the Clark Fork River were made yesterday and all meters have been restored.

Tarkio to Alberton

One individual meter remains without power on Sawmill Gulch Rd. west of Alberton.

Lolo West (Highway 12 to Idaho)

Two crews will return to Lolo Creek this morning. It is our hope that all meters capable of being restored will be by the end of today. Some homes have sustained damaged to the point that they cannot receive service at this point in time, and we will return once they are ready for service.

Lolo South, Florence North and Florence South

The broken poles and repairs remaining in the area will be addressed Monday or Tuesday. These are locations that are not currently in use and can wait until active services have power.

Blackfoot/Potomac area

A broken pole in the Twin Creek area was replaced last night and a crew is on their way to finish up.

Travelers along Highway 200 should be aware that traffic control will be in place as we work to replace a powerline road crossing near Rainbow Bend.

Seeley Lake to Clearwater Junction

The Seeley Lake crew will be joined by two additional crews to replace poles and make repairs. The two broken poles that were identified near Harpers Lake and at the south end of Salmon Lake will be replaced as well. All will be addressed tomorrow.

Crews will also address three broken poles on the MEC transmission line tomorrow. Power is being temporarily fed north from Seeley Lake on an alternative route. This repair will allow us to get the area’s transmission system back to normal.

Condon North and Condon South

Scattered outages remain in the area. We expect restoration later today or tonight.

Thank you for your continued patience and support.

9 p.m. – Saturday, July 27

Timelines and priorities are subject to change.

We are pleased to report that the outage map has been reconfigured to properly report outage data. You can check here for the latest information on outages in your area.

Significant progress was made today. Every district realized major gains in power restoration, and most importantly, everyone worked safely toward achieving our goals.

Below is a partial list of areas restored today:

Mullan Road

Work continues along Mullan Road and will last for several days. All poles and major hardware necessary to build the line is onsite and Potelco has everything necessary to commence with construction once cleanup is complete. Except for the locations noted in the Big Flat/Kona Ranch section below, all meters that can be fed from an alternate source are in power for this area.

If you live in this area and your home is still without power, you are not likely to see restoration until the rebuilding phase is complete. We recognize the frustration this may cause, but please know we are doing our best to repair and restore as quickly as possible.

Big Flat Road and Kona Ranch

A crew has been working west of Kona Ranch Road, on Big Flat Road, to replace poles and repair damage to the main line. They will also target the adjacent neighborhood along Virginia Drive which saw significant damage. Once repairs to the main line are made, we are hopeful that Stillwaters to Sherman Gulch Road can be reenergized.

Evaro

A crew began working on two broken poles in Evaro earlier tonight – one on Inderland Dr. and another on Evaro Dr. Work will continue until all meters are restored.

Frenchtown

A crew has been working all day to restore power to Marcure Ln. near Frenchtown. These are the final outages in this area.

Huson/Nine Mile Area

Power was restored to all members in the Huson/Nine Mile area.

Petty Creek Area

Power was restored to all members in the Petty Creek drainage.

Tarkio/Alberton

One individual meter remains without power on Sawmill Gulch Road west of Alberton.

Clinton to Turah

Power was restored to all members in this area today.

Lolo West (Highway 12 to Idaho)

Crews made excellent progress on one of the most impacted areas today. Power has been restored to all but one meter west of Mill Creek, and the remaining eight meters east of Mill Creek will be addressed tomorrow.

Lolo South, Florence North and Florence South

Power has been restored to all meters from Lolo to the south end of our system, with the exception of four meters that are not currently in use. These meters will wait until all active services have been restored.

Blackfoot/Potomac Area

The only remaining outage from Bonner to Clearwater Junction is in the Twin Creeks area where two broken poles need to be replaced. A support crew from Mission Valley Power is heading there tonight to begin repairs. This work will likely continue in the morning after a rest period is complete.

Seeley Lake to Clearwater Junction

Just four individual meters remain without power in Seeley Lake tonight. Two broken poles were identified near Harpers Lake, as well as one at the south end of Salmon Lake. All will be addressed tomorrow.

Condon North and South

Approximately 100 meters remain without power in the Condon area. Crews are currently patrolling and making necessary repairs. Depending on what is uncovered, we expect the majority to be restored tonight

Woodworth, Helmville, and Ovando

Power was restored to all members in these areas today.

Thank you for your continued patience and support. Check back tomorrow morning for Sunday’s strategy.

2:30 p.m. – Saturday, July 27

Timelines and priorities are subject to change.

As you may have noticed, the Co-op’s outage map has been unavailable for the past few days. We believe that it is malfunctioning because we have rerouted power from so many locations, both from different substations and power phases. This is not an uncommon technique, and usually modifications can be made to the Outage Management System (OMS) to accommodate. However, due to the scope of reroutes, the OMS is not functioning properly. These updates will serve as our primary method of outage communication until further notice.

Immediately following the storm, we had more than 15,500 meters without power. As of noon today, that number is less than 1,400 meters. This means that in approximately 63 hours, we have restored power to 14,100 meters. This would not be possible without the assistance from our neighboring utilities.

Below is an update from the work completed this morning:

Mullan Road

Four Potelco contract crews began work along Mullan Road yesterday, clearing debris in preparation for a rebuild that began in earnest this morning. The semi-load of poles arrived at 1 p.m. as anticipated, and another load is scheduled to arrive from Lethbridge, Canada at 5 p.m. tonight.

Wire down in the Blackfoot River

The line down in the Blackfoot River near Scotty Brown Bridge has been removed from the water. Crews will continue repair work before restoration can take place.

PLEASE USE CAUTION AND AVOID RECREATING ON THIS PORTION OF THE BLACKFOOT UNTIL REPAIRS ARE MADE. 

Big Flat Road and Kona Ranch Road

Earlier today, a crew reported to the area west of Kona Ranch Road, on Big Flat Road, to begin replacing poles and repairing damage to the main line. They will also target the adjacent neighborhood which saw significant damage. This will be a long process given the amount of damage, but once repairs to the main line are made, we are hopeful that Stillwaters to Sherman Gulch Road can be reenergized.

South end of Salmon Lake

Two broken poles were identified yesterday, and upon further inspection, another broken pole was identified. Crews will attempt to get all three swapped out today.

Lolo West

While a majority of the main line along Highway 12 has been restored, there was significant damage to many of the lines feeding homes along the highway. Neighborhoods impacted include Allen Dr., Pleasant Meadows Ln., Vann Dr., Lolo Creek Dr., Chickaman Ln., and more. Patrols from Lolo Hot Springs to the end of the line in Idaho have concluded and restoration is expected later today.

Lolo to Florence

The Jones Road outage has been fully restored. Leo Hansen has also been fully restored, aside from two meters. Both locations have damage that requires member attention before we can begin our work. A crew continues to work on Teepee Dr. with restoration expected tonight.

Clinton to Turah

Donovan Creek Rd., Sliderock Dr., and Boondock Ln. have been restored, which concluded our efforts in this area.

Marcure Lane and Evaro

One crew continues work on Marcure Ln. with completion anticipated tonight.

Another crew will head to Evaro area this afternoon to begin replacing poles and making repairs.

We are grateful to the crews flooding in from neighboring utilities and our members for their understanding and patience. Thank you.

10 a.m. – Saturday, July 27

Timelines and priorities are subject to change.

There are no significant changes to our Saturday plan from 11 p.m. last night, however, the information below includes more details on locations that will be addressed today.

Our attention now turns to our taps off the main lines and individual services. Please note, the locations below are only a partial listing of areas to be visited and are subject to change based on new and emerging issues that may arise. If your area is not included, rest assured it is on our radar.

Mullan Road

Four Potelco contract crews began work along Mullan Road yesterday, clearing debris in preparation for a rebuild that will begin in earnest today. We have enough materials on hand to get them started, and another semi-load of poles is scheduled to arrive at 1 p.m. today.

Wire down in the Blackfoot River

Yesterday, we received a report of a downed wire in the Blackfoot River near the Scotty Brown Bridge. A crew visited the site late last night but was unable to access the location to make repairs, so they will return this morning.

PLEASE AVOID RECREATING ON THIS PORTION OF THE BLACKFOOT UNTIL REPAIRS ARE MADE. 

Big Flat Road and Kona Ranch Road

We recognize that members living in the Stillwaters Subdivision along Kona Ranch Road to Sherman Gulch Road remain without power. A crew will be reporting to the area west of Kona Ranch Road, on Big Flat Road, to begin replacing poles and repairing damage to the main line. They will also target the adjacent neighborhood which saw significant damage. This will be a long process given the amount of damage, but once repairs to the main line are made, we are hopeful that Stillwaters to Sherman Gulch Road can be reenergized.

South End of Salmon Lake

Two broken poles were identified at the south end of Salmon Lake. A crew is scheduled to replace the poles today.

Lolo West

While a majority of the main line along Highway 12 has been restored, there was significant damage to many of the lines feeding homes along the highway. Neighborhoods impacted include Allen Dr., Pleasant Meadows Ln., Vann Dr., Lolo Creek Dr., Chickaman Ln., and more. Patrolling will also be completed to help us restore power into Idaho.

Lolo to Florence

A number of downed poles and wire still need to be addressed in the Lolo and Florence areas.  These locations include Leo Hanson, Jones Rd., and Teepee Dr., among others. Crews returned this morning to begin repairs.

Clinton to Turah

Crews will return to the Clinton area today to focus their attention on Donovan Creek Rd., Sliderock Dr., Boondock Ln., and other scattered outages in the area.

Marcure Lane/Evaro

One crew has been designated to make repairs to the line near Marcure Ln., and as time allows, return to the Evaro area.

Thank you for your continued understanding and patience as we continue our restoration efforts.

11 p.m. – Friday, July 26

Timelines and priorities are subject to change.

Most of the work to re-energize the main lines of our system, other than the lines along Mullan Road, is complete. In many cases where main lines have been damaged, we have been able to temporarily redirect power to impacted members. Our attention will now turn to broken poles, secondary lines, and services that have sustained damage. At last count, the number of broken poles was nearing 80 across our service territory. This work will take time and will begin after the crews have had a chance to rest.

We are fortunate to be part of an incredible network of utilities in Western Montana and beyond. Tomorrow, we will be joined by four additional crews- one from each of the following utilities: Lincoln Electric Cooperative, Mission Valley Power, Ravalli Electric Cooperative, and Vigilante Electric Cooperative. They, along with three Flathead Electric Cooperative crews, a crew from Inland Power Cooperative, and four Potelco contract crews will team up with our line crews to begin addressing broken poles and damaged services.

Below is a partial list of areas restored today:

Condon North, Condon South, Woodworth, Ovando, Helmville, and Seeley Lake

Power has been restored to the majority of homes and businesses in all of these communities. As with all areas, we recognize that there are still pockets of members without power and are working toward full restoration.

Turah to Clinton Area

Power was restored to a majority of members in this area. We do recognize that some scattered outages still exist.

Lolo West (Highway 12 to Idaho)

Crews restored power as far west as Lolo Hot Springs. Please see below for tomorrow’s strategy.

Florence North and South

Florence North and Florence South have been reenergized. As with all areas, we recognize that there are still pockets of members without power and are working toward full restoration.

Huson/Nine Mile Area

This area has been restored, however there are still a handful of scattered outages that remain.

Blackfoot/Potomac Area

Power has been restored to the majority of the Blackfoot/Potomac area. As with many locations, we recognize that there are still pockets of members without power and are working toward full restoration.

Frenchtown

Power has been restored to the majority of the Frenchtown area. As with many locations, we recognize that there are still pockets of members without power and are working toward full restoration.

Petty Creek Area

Power has been restored in the Petty Creek drainage.

Looking ahead to Saturday

Our attention will turn to the taps off our main lines, as well as individual services. Please note, the locations below are only a partial listing of areas to be visited. If your area is not included, rest assured that they are on our radar.

Mullan Road

The four Potelco contract crews began work along Mullan Road, cleaning debris in preparation for a rebuild that will begin in earnest tomorrow. We have enough materials on hand to get them started, and another semi-load of poles is scheduled to arrive at 1 p.m. tomorrow.

Wire Down In the Blackfoot River

Today we received a report of a wire down in the Blackfoot River near the Scotty Brown Bridge. A crew visited the site late in the day but was unable to access the location to make repairs.

PLEASE AVOID RECREATING ON THIS PORTION OF THE BLACKFOOT UNTIL REPAIRS ARE MADE.

We will be sending a crew to this location in the morning.

Big Flat Road and Kona Ranch Road

We recognize that members living in the Stillwaters Subdivision along Kona Ranch Road to Sherman Gulch Road remain without power. A crew will report to the area west of Kona Ranch Road, on Big Flat Road, to begin replacing poles and repairing damage to the main line. They will also target the adjacent neighborhood which saw significant damage. Once repairs to the main line are made, we are hopeful that Stillwaters to Sherman Gulch Road can be reenergized.

South End of Salmon Lake

Two broken poles were identified at the south end of Salmon Lake. A crew is scheduled to replace these poles tomorrow.

Lolo West

While a majority of the main line along Highway 12 has been restored, there was significant damage to many of the lines feeding homes along the highway. Crews will begin repairs tomorrow.

Lolo to Florence

A number of downed poles and wire still need to be addressed in the Lolo and Florence areas. Crews will return to this area tomorrow for repairs.

Clinton to Turah

Crews will return to the Clinton area tomorrow, focusing attention on Donovan Creek, Sliderock Dr., and other scattered outages in the area.

Marcure Lane in Evaro

One crew will begin their day making repairs to the line near Marcure Lane, and as time allows, return to the Evaro area.

Thank you for your continued patience and support. We are immensely grateful for our hard working employees, our support crews, fellow utilities, first responders, and YOU… our members. It is heartwarming to see our community come together.

7 p.m. – Friday, July 26

Timelines and priorities are subject to change.

The Cooperative is grateful for the support of our neighboring utilities. We have added three crews from Flathead Electric Cooperative, one crew from Inland Power and Light, and four crews from Potelco to strengthen our restoration efforts.

We are still working to energize the main lines of the system first. We recognize that many of the areas that have been restored may have individuals and/or small pockets of members without power. These outages, along with the areas of significant damage, will be addressed once this work is complete.

We hope to have our outage map available tomorrow.

Condon North and Condon South

The main lines in Condon North and South have been restored. As with many areas, we recognize that there are still pockets of members without power and are working toward full restoration.

Woodworth

One of two feeders out of the Woodworth Substation has been re-energized. Crews continue work on the remaining feeder, which serves Big Sky Lake.

Ovando

Ovando (town) is back on. Crews remain in the area to work on scattered outages.

Helmville

Power has been restored to a majority of this area. As with many areas, we recognize that there are still pockets of members without power and are working to get everyone back online.

Turah to Clinton Area

There is no new information to share since our morning update.

Lolo West (Highway 12 to Idaho)

Crews worked throughout the day on the line west of Lolo, where progress has been slow. Currently, the line is energized down to Lolo Hot Springs. As with many areas, we recognize that there are still pockets of members without power and are working toward full restoration.

Florence North and South

Florence South was re-energized this morning. As with many areas, we recognize that there are still pockets of members without power and are working towards full restoration. Crews continue their work to restore the members in Florence North.

Huson/Nine Mile Area

This area has been restored, however there are still a handful of scattered outages that remain.

Blackfoot/Potomac Area

Crews replaced broken poles earlier today and have since made their way into the Potomac Valley to continue restoration efforts. Areas that remain include Morrison Lane and Bear Creek.

Frenchtown

Work continues in the area around and northeast of Frenchtown. Nearly all meters have been restored in this area. As with many areas, we recognize that there are still pockets of members without power and are working toward full restoration.

Mullan Road

This area saw the most substantial damage from Wednesday’s storm. Contract crews arrived today and immediately began clearing debris from damaged lines and broken poles. This task will continue into the evening. Once this stage is complete, they will begin replacing 42 broken power poles. We are hopeful that the Ranch Club subdivision will be restored this evening.

Petty Creek Area

A crew is enroute to Petty Creek and will begin line patrols to assess the damage.

All crews will begin an overnight rest period at approximately 11:00 pm this evening, therefore tomorrow’s update will be later in the afternoon once progress has been made.

We plan to share a late-evening update once crews begin their rest period. This update will include our strategy for tomorrow.

Your patience and support is appreciated as we continue our restoration efforts.

10:30 a.m. – Friday, July 26

Timelines and priorities are subject to change.

The crews made excellent progress yesterday, but much work remains. Below is a summary of the work completed and ongoing today. Our current focus is to energize the main lines of the system. We recognize that many of the areas that have been restored may have individuals and small pockets of members without power. The remaining individual locations and areas with significant damage will be addressed once this work is complete.

Condon North and Condon South

This morning our Seeley Lake Crew will be joined by additional linemen from Missoula to begin patrols of the Condon area. This will be the first opportunity for inspection and we will provide additional information once complete.

Woodworth, Ovando and Helmville

A Missoula crew is enroute to the Woodworth area to begin line patrols for that substation. Once power is restored, they will turn their attention to Ovando and Helmville.

Turah to Clinton Area

Power was restored to a majority of these members last night. We do recognize that some scattered outages still exist on each of these line segments.

Lolo West (Highway 12 to Idaho)

Crews worked into the night to replace broken poles of the main line running along Highway 12. Power was restored from the substation to a location near the Stella Blue Neighborhood. After further patrolling, additional damage was located approximately 3 miles west of Lolo. Once repairs are made, the process of energizing the line to Idaho can resume.

Florence North and South

Crews continue to work on power restoration of both the Florence North and South Feeders. This work will continue throughout the day.

Huson/Nine Mile Area

A crew is currently patrolling the area east of Huson, north and south of the Interstate. Once power has been restored, they will turn their attention to the Nine Mile Feeder. This work will continue into the evening.

Blackfoot to Potomac Area

One crew continues their work on broken poles along the Blackfoot corridor to Potomac. This work will continue throughout the day. Four additional contractor crews will arrive later and their initial focus will be to clean up the damaged pole lines before replacement can begin.

Mullan Road to Pulp Mill Road

This section of line sustained the most severe damage on our system with 42 broke poles, which carry two circuits of high voltage lines between our Elmar and Frenchtown substations. A crew it currently on site and working to replace the pole supporting lines which hang over the intersection with Kona Ranch Road. This will eliminate clearance issues from the low lines.

Frenchtown

One crew is working to restore power to the remaining areas of Frenchtown and expect this work to be completed later today.

Petty Creek Area

Patrols on this line have not yet begun. Crews working in the Huson Nine Mile area will head in this direction if time allows later today.

The crews will begin an overnight rest period at approximately 11:00 pm this evening.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as our crews and support crews work to restore power as safely as possible.

8 p.m. – Thursday, July 25

The following schedules and priorities are subject to change.

We are excited to report that the crews made excellent progress on many areas of our system today. Our current focus is to energize the main lines, meaning there may be individuals and small groupings of members who are still without power in those areas. These remaining locations and areas of significant damage will be addressed once this work is complete.

Seeley Lake (town), Double Arrow, Seeley North, and North Placid Lake

Power was restored to all of these areas. We do recognize that some scattered outages still exist on each of these line segments.

The Seeley Lake Crew will be on a rest period overnight. Tomorrow morning we will add an additional crew to assist in patrolling Condon North, Condon South, Woodworth, Ovando, and Helmville.

Missoula Area

The majority of crews working in the Missoula area will begin an overnight rest period at 11 p.m. Work will commence in the morning with the addition of 4 contractor crews, who will begin working on pole replacements along Mullan Road.

West of Missoula

While we recognize that many outages remain, significant progress was made in the Pleasant View, El Mar, Big Flat, Wye, and Evaro areas. Work will continue in the coming days.

Turah to Clinton Area

Crews are currently working to restore power in Turah and expect it to come on shortly. Power has been restored to a majority of our members in Clinton. We recognize that some scattered outages still exist on each of these line segments.

Tarkio

Power has been restored to a majority of these members. We recognize that some scattered outages still exist on each of these line segments.

Lolo South

One crew is currently working their way South from the Lolo Substation, a portion of which was restored at approximately 6:15 p.m. This work will continue throughout the evening.

Florence South

One crew is currently working their way South from the Florence Substation. This work will continue throughout the evening.

Huson to Nine Mile Area

One crew is currently patrolling the area east of Huson, north and south of the Interstate. Once power has been restored, they will turn their attention to the Nine Mile Feeder. This work will continue throughout the evening.

Blackfoot to Potomac Area

One crew is currently working their way up the Blackfoot and making repairs as they go. This work will continue throughout the evening, and likely continue in the morning.

Lolo West (Highway 12 to Idaho)

A crew from Inland Power arrived from Spokane this evening. Their work to patrol and repair lines will begin in the coming hours and continue through the night.

Petty Creek Area

As of 8 p.m., our power supply to this area remains out of service.

Thank you for your patience and support as our crews and support crews work to restore power as safely as possible.

2 p.m. – Thursday, July 25

The below schedules and priorities are subject to change. Thank you for your patience and support as our line crews and support crews work to restore power as safely and efficiently as possible.

Seeley Lake Area

The Seeley Lake Crew has worked since last night to repair damages to the transmission system and on restoring power to the town. We anticipate completion today.

Double Arrow

Crews are continuing to patrol and have identified several repairs. Currently, ~ 40% of the area has been restored, with a goal of full restoration today.

Seeley North to the Summit

Crews will begin patrols of the area from Seeley Lake North to the summit on Highway 83. The timing of the restoration will largely depend on any damage identified. Restoration is anticipated tonight or tomorrow morning.

The Seeley Lake Crew will need to take a rest period later this afternoon. The following areas will not be addressed today: Condon North and South, Placid Lake, Woodworth, Ovando, and Helmville.

Missoula Area

The area west of Missoula to the old pulp mill saw the most significant damage of all. The timing of these repairs, particularly to the line along Mullan Road, will occur over the next few days. We have two crews working to redirect power where possible. Depending on location, restoration may not be possible until all repairs to the main line are complete. We expect 4 additional contract crews to arrive tomorrow. Their initial focus will be replacing the broken poles along Mullan Road.

Two crews worked overnight and will return early this afternoon. They will be joined by three additional crews from Flathead Electric Cooperative. Their focus will be as follows:

Lolo South

One crew is scheduled to patrol the lines running south from Lolo working toward the Florence substation. A portion of this area was patrolled overnight, but more information is needed to determine the timing of restoration.

Florence South

The Florence area has not yet been patrolled. One crew will focus their attention on the Florence South Feeder. More information will be needed to determine the timing of restoration.

Huson to Nine Mile Area

A third crew will be heading towards Huson and Nine Mile this afternoon. More information will be needed to determine the timing of restoration.

Turah to Clinton Area

Overnight, crews began patrolling the areas east of Bonner and encountered significant damage. Crews will return this afternoon with a goal of restoration tonight. Because of damage to our transmission supplier’s system, we will not be able to restore power to the Rock Creek area until their system is repaired, and our line patrols are complete.

Blackfoot to Potomac Area

Overnight crews attempted to restore power to the Blackfoot/Potomac area and encountered several broken poles. Crews will return later this afternoon to begin repairs and work east.

Lolo West (Highway 12 to Idaho)

Tonight, we will be joined by Inland Power crews from Spokane, WA. Patrols were completed on the Lolo West feeder last night, with several broken poles reported.  They are bringing pole replacements and main line repair materials with hopes of restoration overnight.

Tarkio and Petty Creek Areas

As of noon today, our transmission supply to these areas is out of service. Patrols will not begin today.

10 p.m. – Wednesday, July 24