Crews On Standby In Case Of Power Outages In Wind Storm
Apr 14, 2021, 12:04 AM
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Several thousands of customers were without power, with more expected to lose electricity as gusts of up to 70 mph moved through Northern Utah.
As of 11 p.m. Tuesday, outages affected more than 4,100 homes along the Wasatch Front.
The wind event reminded several people of the Sept. 2020 storm, when some were without power for almost a week.
Officials with Rocky Mountain Power said they have a plan to deal with outages overnight, but also advised people to be prepared.
They said hundreds of employees were on standby to deal with outages. They planned to be out around 6 a.m.
Spokesperson David Eskelsen said they felt confident in the technology and that the infrastructure will do what it’s supposed to do.
“If there is a disturbance, a tree on a line, a car hits a pole – any of those conditions can create a fault on the line,” he said. “If the fault is severe enough, it’s best to cut the power and stop the flow of electricity to prevent any damage.”
Those who do lose power should report the outage to Rocky Mountain Power, because Eskelsen said it helps them get the most accurate read on outages.
Officials also suggested residents have a plan in case they do run out of power – and charge their phones and electronics while they can.