UPDATE 3:30 PM –
Power has been restored to the communities of Fosston, Fertile, Erskine, and McIntosh. Polk County is requesting that people avoid traveling between the cities of Winger and Fosston along 420th Street SE and 430th Street SE and 330th Avenue SE and 220th Avenue SE. Currently, crews are working to clear debris from the roadways and power crews are working to complete damage assessments and restore power.
Damage reports are still coming in from other areas of East Polk County. Anyone experiencing power outages, damage to property and downed trees are asked to notify the Sheriff’s Office.
Polk County is requesting citizens living in the affected areas with a health or safety concern to contact the Sheriff’s Office and they will put you in contact with resources that can assist.
Original Story-
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has received numerous reports of power outages as result of the storms that moved through Polk County this morning. Currently the cities of Winger, McIntosh and Fosston are without power. Power companies have been notified and are working on restoring power. The power outages are the result of downed power lines which Wild Rice Electric is working to remedy.
The primary affected areas follow along or near 420 Street SE from Winger to Fosston. This has resulted in some roads being blocked until repairs can be made. Other affected areas reporting power line issues include Maple Lake.
A reminder to the public to treat all downed lines as live. Do not drive over lines or make contact, instead notify the power company and/or the Sheriff’s Office.
Anyone who comes across debris blocking roadways, as the result of the storm, are asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 218-281-0431 with a location so the proper road authorities can be notified.
UPDATED SATURDAY AT 11:00 AM:
June 30 – Crews continue to actively restore power this morning to many who were affected by a massive storm that swept through Wild Rice Electric’s service territory on Friday morning. Outages stemmed from broken poles, branches, and trees in the line as well as underground faults. A 13-mile stretch from Winger to Fosston was greatly impacted as large transmission structures were completely wiped out. Wild Rice Electric crews worked with local law enforcement to secure hazard areas including roadways where lines crossed or were sagging. Widespread outages were called in with reports coming from south of Hawley to the north of Fosston. If you come across a hazard such as a downed wire, do not approach it as it could still be energized. Please report outages and hazards by calling 1-800-244-5709.
UPDATED AT 7:15 PM:
As of 6:30 pm, June 29, crews from both Wild Rice Electric and Minnkota Power continue to actively work to restore the electricity. Outages still remain in the Fosston, Island Lake, Strawberry Lake & Elbow lake areas as well as rural Mentor areas. At around 5:00 am this morning, a massive and quick moving storm ripped through Wild Rice Electric’s territory causing extensive damage. Crews have been busy dealing with broken and snapped poles, trees and branches in lines, along with transmission structures that were wiped out in nearly a 13-mile stretch between Winger and Fosston. Crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power. If you come across a hazard such as a downed wire, do not go near it as it could still be energized. Please report hazards by calling 1-800-244-5709.
UPDATED AT 3:30 PM:
As of 3:00 pm – Work continues for Wild Rice Electric and Minnkota Power Crews. The White Earth and Erskine Substations are back up and running with the exception of a couple feeder lines from each sub. Crews continue to cut trees, place poles and focus on securing hazard areas where downed lines are a risk. The northern end of the territory seems to have the most extensive damage with large trees snapped and uprooted coming in contact with power lines. Minnkota Power crews continue to work on transmission structures that were toppled over from high winds between the Winger and Fosston areas. If you have an outage or hazard to report, please call 1-800-244-5709. Thank you for your patience while crews work as safely and quickly as possible.
Progress is being made in the restoration efforts from Wild Rice Electric Crews as well as Minnkota Power Crews. As substations are coming back online, we are identifying more precise outage locations. Many are individual outages or tap lines. We are receiving reports of many downed lines and poles. Please use caution and do not go near these hazard areas as lines could still be energized. Reporting these hazards by calling 1-800-244-5709 would be much appreciated. We appreciate your patience while all available crews and staff are working to restore the power.
Wild Rice Electric’s service territory was impacted by a massive, quick-moving storm that rolled through just before 5:00 am this morning. A number of substations are without power due to multiple transmission line structures that were damaged primarily between the Winger and Fosston areas. Minnkota Power crews along with Wild Rice Electric Crews are actively working to restore power as safely and quickly as possible. If you see a damaged or downed power line, do not go near the line as it could still be energized. Report the hazard by calling 1-800-244-5709.
Severe weather in the region has resulted in widespread outages for approximately 6,000 of Otter Tail Power Company’s customers in North Dakota and Minnesota. Outages began shortly after midnight in western North Dakota and continued through northern Minnesota as the storm moved north and east. “Crews are working to assess and repair damage, though we expect that it could be several hours before we’re able to restore power in most areas,” said Area Manager Jeremy Rham.
Areas affected include towns in and around Devils Lake, Garrison, and Rugby, North Dakota, and Mahnomen, Minnesota. “We appreciate our customers’ patience as we work to safely restore power,” said Rham. “And, importantly, please remember to stay away from downed or low-hanging power lines.”
