Avista more than meets the windstorm challenge

At the peak of last week's windstorm, more than 60,000 Avista customers experienced power outages at home or work.

Today, those people have power again.

Let's give Avista credit for its response. Under pressure and in difficult conditions, over four long, demanding days, Avista's crews went to work and made great efforts to restore electricity to those without it. They moved from one impacted area to the next. The toughest challenges were in remote locations, where rough terrain, recent snowfall, fallen trees, damaged poles and debris slowed progress.

The March 11 windstorm brought significant damage to the Inland Northwest, with strong winds knocking down trees and branches onto power lines and poles. Avista did not sit by quietly. It was not caught unprepared. It was ready. It quickly deployed additional resources, activating support staff and contractors to speed up restoration efforts.

Consider all it involved: Nearly 300 people were directly involved in restoration efforts. In addition to the frontline electric crews who replaced poles, reconnected lines and rebuilt infrastructure, many support staff and community partners contributed to the recovery. 

The community rallied to the cause, as well.

Local organizations served meals to utility workers, while shelters in rural areas offered warmth to towns during the outages. This coordinated response highlighted the dedication of everyone involved, as they worked together to restore power and support the community after the storm.

Much is expected and required of Avista.

It provides energy services and electricity to 422,000 customers and natural gas to 383,000 customers in a service territory covering 30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, North Idaho, and parts of southern and eastern Oregon, with a population of 1.7 million.

That's a lot of people counting on Avista, and it takes this role very seriously. During this latest windstorm, it rose to the occasion. It provided constant updates on its progress to restore power. People were not left in the dark.

 Heather Rosentrater, Avista president and CEO, had this to say:

“The Inland Northwest’s stunning landscapes often bring unique obstacles. This time, heavy snowfall and rugged, hard-to-reach rural areas made access difficult for our teams. Yet, through collaboration and commitment from both our staff and contractors, we were able to meet these challenges head-on. The understanding and encouragement we received from our communities truly made a difference, and we are deeply appreciative. Last week also marked our 137th anniversary of serving the communities we cherish so much, and this milestone reminds us how proud we are to stand alongside you, especially in times of need.”

We couldn't agree more.

We know that when and if the lights go out, Avista will do its best to bring them back on.