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What areas are experiencing the largest power outages?
Thousands of homes and businesses across Wyoming are without power following a major outage that hit Thursday afternoon. Rocky Mountain Power confirmed that nearly 55,000 customers were affected, with more than 26,000 outages reported in the Casper area alone. Other impacted cities include Douglas, Glendo, Riverton, Buffalo, and Gillette, as per a report by Oil City News.
By 1 p.m., the City of Gillette announced on social media that the entire city was without power. Outages have also been reported in South Dakota, Montana, and Utah, though officials have not confirmed whether the incidents are related, reported Oil City News.
How are officials and residents responding?
Rapid City officials are urging drivers to use extreme caution at intersections where traffic signals are out and to treat them as four-way stops. “If you do not need to travel, stay in place,” city authorities advised.
Meanwhile, the Rocky Mountain Power outage map showed disruptions across Casper, Mills, Evansville, and Bar Nunn. Power first went out around 12:45 p.m., and although some areas briefly saw service return by 1:15 p.m., others remain dark. A resident in Evansville reported that “power there has flickered on and off,” reported Oil City News.
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Equipment problems forced the Rapid City Public Library to close. Residents should only call 911 in case of an emergency, according to the Rapid City Fire Department, and not to report or inquire about outages. This is so that in the event of an emergency, the lines can remain open, as per a report by KOTA Territory.
A representative from Black Hill Energy told a KOTA reporter that a third-party facility was involved in a transmission issue, as quoted in a report.
According to a statement from Black Hills Energy, the company has triggered its response plan and its staff is prepared to handle such situations, as per a report by KOTA Territory.
What closures and incidents followed the blackout?
The Natrona County Library’s downtown Casper branch and several non-essential county offices have closed for the day due to the outage. The Natrona County School District stated that schools remain open but will update families if conditions change, as per a report by Oil City News.
Shortly after the blackout, firefighters responded to alarms at the Casper Business Center. Officials said the alarms were triggered by smoke from generators starting up after the power loss.
As of Thursday afternoon, restoration efforts are ongoing, with Rocky Mountain Power crews working to bring electricity back to affected areas before nightfall.
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On November 13, the Pennington County Courthouse was evacuated because of electrical problems. For the remainder of the day, the courthouse is now closed, as quoted in a report by KOTA Territory.
This occurs as the region is still recovering from a massive power outage that affected parts of Montana, the Black Hills, and northeast Wyoming, as per a report by KOTA Territory.
FAQs
Which areas are most affected by the power outage?
The Casper area in Wyoming and western South Dakota, including Rapid City, are among the hardest hit.
When is power expected to be restored?
Rocky Mountain Power estimated restoration could take until around 9:45 p.m. Thursday.