Hurricane-force winds cause largest, longest power outage in Co-op history

A dramatic shift in December weather set the stage for the largest and longest power outage in Flathead Electric Cooperative’s history. Unseasonably warm temperatures and heavy precipitation melted snow and thawed frozen ground. Flooding damaged infrastructure across northwest Montana, including multiple bridges in Libby, and saturated soil left trees unstable in soft ground.

When winds increased over Marias Pass on the night of December 15, trees began falling into power lines, initially impacting about 6,000 meters from Columbia Falls to Essex. The following day, the National Weather Service forecasted winds increasing to hurricane force and becoming widespread across the Co-op’s 3,000 square mile service area.

On December 17, those winds arrived as predicted, this time from the west. As the storm moved through Libby, Kalispell, Whitefish, Essex, the Swan Valley, Lakeside, and West Valley, outages multiplied rapidly. Downtown Kalispell lost power, including traffic signals, while rural areas experienced extensive damage as trees toppled and fell into transformers and power lines.

Part of what made this storm exceptional was its geographic scale. Windstorms are fairly common in Northwest Montana, but it is highly unusual for so many communities to experience severe impacts simultaneously. Compounding the challenge, utilities across the broader region—from Washington to the Dakotas—were also impacted, limiting the resources from surrounding areas, including the availability of qualified crews to assist.

Over the December 15–24 event window, Flathead Electric responded to nearly 375 separate outages. Some outages affected a single meter, while others impacted tens of thousands. In total, more than 51,000 outage interruptions were recorded, with approximately 36,000 individual meters—about half of the Co-op’s 76,000-meter system—losing power at least once. Many members experienced multiple outages as winds repeatedly damaged already-stressed infrastructure and trees continued to fall.

Crews worked through nine consecutive nights in unusual and hazardous conditions, often battling mud so deep that heavy equipment became stuck. Tree crews cleared access ahead of line crews, while dispatchers coordinated closely with 9-1-1 and first responders to manage downed power lines and public safety hazards. Employees from across the Co-op supported field crews with inspections, logistics, and supplies.

By late evening December 19, power was restored to the majority of members. The most severe damage remained in Libby, where broken poles and access challenges slowed progress. Final restoration was completed on the morning of December 24, when the last remaining impacted Libby members regained service.

The December outage was the result of a perfect storm: warm temperatures, wet ground, extreme winds, widespread tree damage, and regional impacts that delayed mutual aid. While your Co-op works every day to prevent outages, events like this underscore the importance of preparedness by the Co-op and its members alike.

Your Co-op deeply appreciates your kindness to our crews and staff during this prolonged event, and for the many reminders during the long cleanup that we are members of an incredibly resilient community, able to work together and care for one another during extraordinary conditions.

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