(UPDATE, SATURDAY EVENING) Wind gusts north of 70 miles an hour were recorded in Great Falls during a windstorm on Friday, October 4th. Now, the city is out restoring powerlines and cleaning up fallen trees.
It should have been a normal Friday night for the Grohs family.
“We were just getting ready to make some chicken alfredo,” said Justin Grohs, “And we're making the sauce, getting the chicken, fry it up and there was, kind of a large bang.”
“Suddenly we hear this loud boom,” said Abigail Grohs, “And the whole house just kind of shook. And suddenly the power went out.”
the Grohs were some of the thousands of Montanans who were in the middle of a massive wind storm that wreaked havoc across the state.
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“We went outside and it was like, Holy smokes,” Abagail said, “Like, this is really strong wind.”
Throughout the night, trees fell and powerlines were damaged, stranding thousands of people without power.
“We had about 15,000 customers out of power,” said Jo Dee Black, the Public Relations Specialist for Northwestern Energy, “Crews worked through the night. They restored power to about more than 12,000.”
Northwestern Energy says the crews will continue working until all power is restored. On the ground, the city is clearing streets of trees and debris that were knocked over.
“Any of the complaints that have… come in over the night from the windstorm, we're out cleaning those up,” said Darren Yatsko, Street Department Foreman for the city of Great Falls, “Opening the streets up… just to make it passable for the public to get through safely.”
The Park& Recreation Forestry Department were also out clearing trees. They urge the public to be patient, as each tree can take over an hour to clear. Remember to stay 30 feet away from any downed power lines and leave plenty of room for the city workers.
“Be safe if you’re running chainsaws, and watch out for your neighbor,” Yatsko said.
Looking at the aftermath, the Grohs are feeling lucky.
“One is that, of course, could have been worse,” Justin said.
Neighbors came out to support as they wait for the energy company to restore their power so they can safely cut down the tree.
“Right away, my neighbors were offering to help me out,” Justin said, “And one neighbor ran power from his house to my house with an extension cord.”
Members of the Great Falls Park and Rec Forestry have a limited number of crews and will be working throughout the day, but the cleanup may take a few days. Please report any power outages or road obstructions this weekend to the non-emergency dispatch at (406) 455-8599. You can monitor current outages with Northwestern Energy's Outage Map.
(UPDATE, SATURDAY MORNING) Great Falls Fire Rescue says as people are waking up and seeing the damage from last night's wind storm, please be patient and know that NorthWestern Energy has been advised on many of the lines that remain down at this time.
GFFR crews responded to more than 100 calls overnight, and continue this morning.
Treat all power lines you may encounter as live and keep a safe distance.
In addition - if you are driving and come to a controlled intersection where the traffic lights are not working, you must treat the intersection as an all-way stop.
We will update you if we get more information.
(1st REPORT, FRIDAY NIGHT) A cold front brought powerful winds to north-central Montana on Friday, October 4, 2024.
The winds began howling at about 7 p.m, with gusts reaching 73 miles per hour at Great Falls International Airport.
Other recorded gusts include 79 mph at the Havre airport, 74 mph in Fort Shaw, and 67 mph at Malmstrom Air Force Base.
Attendees at the Cirque Italia "water circus" show in the Holiday Village Mall parking lot were evacuated as a precaution.
Thousands of people are without power in and around Great Falls, and even more in other communities across the region according to NorthWestern Energy.
The utility company says that crews have been dispatched to restore power, but there is no word on how long it will take.
Marias River Electric Cooperative posted on Facebook: "We are aware of power outages affecting several areas, including Shelby, Sunburst, Kevin, and near the Tiber Dam due to severe winds. Crews are working to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. Please stay away from any downed power lines or poles and report them immediately by calling 406.434.5575."
Trees have been toppled across the region, too, in some cases falling across roads and blocking traffic.
Cory Reeves, the mayor of Great Falls, posted: "As everyone knows, we are experiencing a massive wind storm in the Electric City. Please be patient as City workers are doing their best to remove fallen trees and debris from the roadways. Northwestern Energy is also working to restore power to our City. Please keep all our first responders, and City workers in your thoughts and prayers as they work diligently to restore our roadways and city services."
The wind will begin to diminish as the night continues, although it will still be windy with wind gusts over 40 mph possible.
We will update you as we get more information about storm damage.
