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SALT LAKE CITY — Power crews were still working to restore electricity for thousands of Utahns on Friday, but officials say some residents could still be without power into the weekend.
On Friday afternoon, about 38,000 Rocky Mountain Power customers were without power. By 8 p.m., that number had dropped to 32,226 — down from about 46,000 earlier Friday morning.
By Friday afternoon, 80% of those who lost power during Tuesday’s storm had power, according to Rocky Mountain Power spokesman Spencer Hall.
Crews continued to work around the clock to repair damage and restore power to the remaining 20% still without service, Hall said.
Rocky Mountain Power made a big push Thursday to try and get the majority of customers back on the grid, Hall said. But some customers might remain without power into the weekend, he said.
Partner utilities in Iowa and Nevada, as well as contracting agencies, have also been dispatched to help RMP crews restore powers along the Wasatch Front.
“We’re now down to where it’s mostly metro Salt Lake City, and then up in Davis and Weber (counties) and Ogden. So, really, right now it’s just house by house and, as you can imagine, it can be slow going,” Hall said.
The area of greatest impact runs from Ogden to the Salt Lake Valley.
As many as 180,000 customers originally lost power in the wake of the strong windstorm that blew into northern Utah Monday night into Tuesday.
"Again, we are acutely aware of how stressful this entire year has been and how difficult and inconvenient it is to be without power for an extended period. Your continued patience is very appreciated as we work to restore service to the remaining customers," Hall said in a tweet Friday morning.
Ok, guys. Here’s the update on the power restoration in Utah. I’ve been out with crews most of the day an it’s been a sight to see. It’s also slow going. The repairs that bring whole neighborhoods on are mostly done and we’re getting into work that brings on a few at a time.
— Spencer Ryan Hall (@spencerhall) September 11, 2020
The historic storm caused extensive damage, Hall said, acknowledging frustration from customers.
“We are truly sorry for the time it has taken to repair the damage and restore service,” Hall wrote on Twitter.
Two schools in the Ogden School District are closed Friday due to power outages — Highland Junior High School and Mount Ogden Junior High School.
The Salt Lake City School District canceled all classes Friday. The school year in that district, which is being held online, will begin Monday.
This is developing news and will be updated.
Contributing: Kelli Pierce, KSL NewsRadio; Lauren Bennett, KSL.com
