Wind gusts around Boise, Treasure Valley cause power outages, tip semitrailer
Thousands of people around Idaho were without power Monday morning after overnight gusts of wind caused problems throughout the Gem State.
The wind storms knocked out the power for roughly 23,000 customers in the Boise area between Sunday night and Monday, according to Idaho Power spokesperson Melissa Thom.
As of early Monday afternoon, the number was down to about 550.
Haley Williams, spokesperson for the Boise Police Department, said in an email Monday that officers had been dispatched to at least three reports of downed power lines as of 10:30 a.m. Boise fire crews were dispatched five times for electrical-fire or power-related issues. Idaho Power crews were also sent out to follow up, Williams said.
Some commuters had a difficult morning. A semitrailer overturned in westbound lanes of Interstate 84 near Gowen Field, according to Idaho State Police. The semitrailer blocked nearly the entire road, and as of 8:40 a.m., troopers were diverting traffic to a single lane on the right shoulder.
Traffic was reopened around 11 a.m. Monday, according to a tweet from state police.
It was one of at least two semitrailers blown over in Southern Idaho, according to ISP.
The National Weather Service in Boise reported overnight wind gusts of up to 70 miles per hour at the Twin Falls Airport, and gusts reaching 61 mph at the Boise Airport.
Josh Smith, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Boise, told the Statesman that it is unusual for strong gusts of wind to take place overnight, but spring is the time of year when major gusts are most common. These gusts blew in with a cold front overnight; the high temperature on Monday was expected to be only 45 degrees, after the Treasure Valley had highs in the mid-70s on Sunday.
Thousands without electricity in the Treasure Valley
In total, Idaho Power said it counted around 260 separate outages at the height of the issue. Most of the outages were the result of falling tree branches and blown-down lines, Thom said in an email.
Idaho Power had just a handful of downed utility poles, she said.
If you see downed power lines or tree branches that have fallen on lines, please contact 911 or Idaho Power immediately. You can contact Idaho Power by calling 1-800-488-6151 or 208-388-2323.
This story was originally published March 29, 2021 at 9:47 AM.
