Some still lack power after storm

Only a few hundred utility customers in the Spokane area remained without power Thursday after thousands were left in the dark after Tuesday’s windstorm.

But area tree companies planned to spend several more weeks clearing away storm debris.

The remaining power outages are in clusters throughout the county.

“We are down to the part of the restoration that’s the most labor intensive,” said Debbie Simock, a spokeswoman for Avista Utilities. It’s also the slowest.

About 255 customers on the South Hill and 264 in Spokane Valley remained without power, Simock said. The remaining 238 were scattered throughout the area.

“The Valley was the hardest hit area,” she said. Most of those outages were south of Sprague Avenue between Pines Road and Dishman-Mica Road.

Vera Water and Power, Modern Electric and Inland Power said they had restored electricity to all their customers by about 5 p.m. Thursday.

A majority of the outages were caused by trees falling into power lines, officials said. Crews for all four power companies have worked 24-hour shifts since the storm hit to restore electricity.