SPOKANE, Wash. — The four-year mark of the 2015 windstorm brings up memories of hurricane-force winds that hit Spokane and caused mass destruction through the Inland Northwest. That devastating windstorm left thousands of people without power and sent power companies scrambling to restore electricity.
Downed lines aren't just a problem in Spokane. This summer in places like California, the potential of lines falling down and sparking fires prompted utility companies like PG&E to cut them off during certain seasons of the year. This causes rolling blackouts where people are left without power for days.
Placing the lines underground sounds like a great solution but it's not all that simple.
In Spokane, most new developments bury power lines underground but that doesn't solve the problem for older ones that have been standing for years. Some serious funding would have to come forward to move them below the soil.
Just take Kootenai Electric Company for example. The wind storm hit just as hard in North Idaho, but fortunately for them, they received a rare grant from FEMA.
To bury 50 miles of power lines cost a whopping $10 million and the grant is covering three-quarters of that.
“Hopefully there's going to be fewer outages. And we know our members are going to appreciate that as well,” Kootenai Electric spokeswoman Erika Neff said.
According to their website, Spokane's major utility company, Avista doesn't have any projects in the works to relocate old lines.
They do have safety guidelines for those working with electric projects and that's another thing holding underground lines back. They reduce the risk of fires and power outages but can cause problems if you're not aware of them.
That's why another windstorm could bring many of the same issues we saw in 2015.