Scottsdale storms knock down power poles, leaving thousands without power

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - APS crews are working around the clock to repair downed power lines in Scottsdale after strong winds brought down power poles and caused outages.

Storm Rescues:

"Crews were spread thin last night," Capt. Dave Folio with the Scottsdale Fire Department said. 

Scottsdale Fire rescued six people at once after Friday night's storms. With more storms on the way on Halloween, Folio said crews are preparing for another busy night.

"We’ve all got the gear dried out, throw bags ready. What people don’t realize is we put people downstream, upstream, river right, river left," he said. 

By the numbers:

Much of the damage was reported along Shea Boulevard near 70th Street, where crews continue working to replace damaged equipment and restore power.

At the height of the outages, more than 2,100 APS customers were without power. That number has since dropped to about 17, as crews have restored electricity to most customers by rerouting power and installing temporary cables.

In all, APS reported 14 power poles were either knocked down or damaged.

Restoration and Repair:

The utility says restoration work includes assessing the damage, securing the area, removing debris and damaged equipment, installing new poles and making necessary repairs. APS says about 100 crew members will have been involved in the restoration effort by the time the work is complete.

What they're saying:

Jill Hanks, an APS spokesperson, said crews could remain in the area for the next couple of days.

"The work will continue out here, obviously, a lot of damage, and a lot of work to do," Hanks said. "We'll probably have crews out here for a couple more days, but we also have more storms coming, so we have to take that into account. So if it's just slight rain, they can stay working out here. But if there's lightning or stronger storms, they will have to take a break until it is safe to come back."

The response effort isn’t letting up. APS says its in-house meteorologist will be monitoring conditions closely, so crews can jump into action if more weather-related emergencies hit.

"To give them idea of when where storms might occur so that we can have crews on standby, staged and ready to go to get into an area quickly to get the power back on," Hanks said. 

Dig deeper:

Folio says too often, drivers get caught in flash flooding because they ignore road closures or refuse to take an alternate route. His message is to never drive around barricades, and avoid nonessential trips when storms roll in.

 "Two inches of water will sweep you off your feet. 4 to 6in of water will move your vehicle," Folio said. 

What you can do:

With flash flooding a real danger, Folio said a few simple precautions could make all the difference.

"It's just about good decision-making," he said. "You can make a grave decision that will change your life in a matter of seconds and put you at risk, and the rescue is at risk. So we're asking people to not drive into washes." 

Travel Impacts:

Drivers traveling along Shea Boulevard are urged to use caution and watch for crews working in the area.

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