Storm, Trees Inflict Damage Power Restored By Midday Tuesday To More Than 10,000 Customers

Power crews restored electricity by midday Tuesday to most of the more than 10,000 customers left in the dark by a severe thunderstorm, and residents around North Idaho began another cleanup effort.

Authorities did not report any serious injuries, but one woman was hospitalized overnight for shock after a tree fell on her house.

Meanwhile, tree trimming services raced to keep up with demand.

“We’re just catching up with Ice Storm and now here we go again,” said Dave Pica of Specialty Tree Service.

Pica and his crew had just finished cutting a large pine tree off of Ruth Maughan’s roof Tuesday afternoon. It was one of a dozen jobs the four-man crew had done since 6 a.m.

Two trees fell side by side on a house near Seventh Street and Mountain Avenue, Pica said. Another job awaited the crew at Fourth Street and Honeysuckle Drive.

“As soon as we get this wood loaded, we’re going to the next house,” Pica said.

Maughan’s neighbors said the tree crashed on the roof over her bedroom during the storm’s initial wave Monday, filling the room with roofing debris and insulation. Maughan, who was seated in the living room, was scared, but not injured.

“It shook her up,” said neighbor Callie Christenson. “If she’d have been in bed it could have killed her.”

The tree was about 18 inches in diameter, and took out power lines and telephone wires.

“It was like an explosion,” said B.J. Bacobucci, who rents an apartment below Maughan.

Washington Water Power recorded the most power outages, reporting 10,000 during the height of Monday’s storm. Thousands of those customers spent the night without electricity.

On Tuesday morning there were some outages in metro Coeur d’Alene, but all but about 100 were restored before noon, said Dana Anderson, a WWP spokeswoman.

The rest, near Hayden Lake, were turned back on by 3 p.m., Anderson said.

Kootenai Electric reported about 300 scattered outages, mostly in the Harrison and Conklin Park areas. Power was restored to Kootenai Electric customers by 2 a.m.

“The good news is we did not sustain any serious damage,” said Catherine Parochetti, Kootenai Electric spokeswoman.

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