SPOKANE, Wash. — Avista announced Monday that power restoration efforts following last Wednesday’s severe windstorm are complete, with crews and support staff returning to normal operations after six days of around-the-clock work.
The Dec. 17 windstorm left more than 80,000 customers without power at its peak, causing widespread damage across the Inland Northwest as high winds toppled trees and limbs into power lines and poles.
More than 500 individuals played a direct role in restoration efforts. Frontline electric crews replaced poles, restrung wire and rebuilt critical infrastructure, while support staff and community partners provided assistance throughout the process.
Remote and hard-to-access locations posed the greatest challenges, with rugged terrain, downed poles, fallen trees and storm debris slowing progress. By 4 p.m. Monday, crews had completed repairs in all affected areas.
“We’re incredibly thankful for the resilience of our customers and the dedication of every crew member who worked tirelessly to restore service,” said Heather Rosentrater, Avista President and CEO. “We are pleased to share that all crews completed restoration work without any safety incidents.”
Rosentrater acknowledged the unique challenges the region faces during severe weather events.
“The Inland Northwest’s natural beauty comes with challenges – when heavy rains saturate the soil and strong winds follow, the impact can be severe,” she said. “Thanks to the combined efforts of our teams and contractors, we overcame those obstacles.”
Community support played a significant role throughout the restoration process. Customers shared messages of encouragement on social media, while local organizations provided warm meals to utility workers. Generators were delivered to rural areas to offer heat and shelter for communities without power.
Avista encourages customers to visit myavista.com to update their contact information and sign up for text alerts to receive timely updates during outages or severe weather events.
COPYRIGHT 2025 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
