Windstorm expected this afternoon

SPOKANE — Strong winds forecast to begin this afternoon across Avista’s Idaho and Washington service area will bring the possibility of outages from falling tree limbs or trees, causing downed power lines.

"Avista is prepared to respond and is urging customers to prepare for potential storm damages and outages," according to a press release.

Avista is following the National Weather Service forecasts closely and routinely engages in tree-trimming and vegetation management across its service area.

At this time, Avista crews are ready with fueled and stocked fleet vehicles, warehouse supplies are in place in Spokane and outer offices, assessment teams are standing by along with wire guard teams to help ensure public safety near downed power lines, tree crews are prepared, and employees are moving from their typical day-to-day responsibilities to assist in storm-related activities, the release said.

With sustained winds expected throughout the afternoon and into the evening, estimated restoration times will be available after the storm has passed and Avista is able to complete assessments, which may take several hours, depending on the extent of the damage.

Customers can expect to see current outage numbers on the outage map at myavista.com/outage while the estimated restoration time will note that outages are under assessment.

Customers who experience a power outage are encouraged to report it online or through their mobile device at www.myavista.com/outage or by calling (800) 227-9187.