60-mph Winds Knock Out Power, Down Trees in Apache and Navajo Counties

Sixty-mile-per-hour gusts knocked down trees and cut power to thousands across the Navajo Nation and parts of Apache and Navajo counties, KSJD reported, leaving fallen lines and blocked roads in communities from Shiprock to the Little Colorado River Valley. Local coverage included video of storm damage and a KSJD photo of a fallen power line on the Navajo Nation.

The National Weather Service in Flagstaff issued an alert warning of the hazard to the Little Colorado River Valley in Coconino, Navajo and Apache counties and spelled out the likely impacts: "DOWN TREES AND POWER LINES. WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES ARE EXPECTED. TRAVEL WILL BE DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. GUSTY WINDS WILL BLOW AROUND UNSECURED OBJECTS. TREE LIMBS COULD SNAP RESULTING IN A FEW POWER OUTAGES," NWS Flagstaff AZ [FSX] wrote in its iAlert; that advisory is archived as expired in the NWS database.

School districts reported disruption to classroom routines after the gusts. Shiprock superintendent Daniel Benavides said the situation was disrupting remote learning: "This is very unusual. Very unusual. We're asking parents to call their school sites to make sure that they let the school site know that they're having trouble with electricity because obviously if they don't have power, they can't get the internet," says Benavides. KSJD also reported that some students in the Shiprock district could not access remote classes because they lacked power at home.

Utility crews were working across service territories but restoration timelines remained uncertain. The Navajo Tribal Utility Company was "working on repairs, but had no estimate for when power would be restored," according to post-storm reports. In Navopache Electric Cooperative service areas that include parts of the White Mountains and eastern Apache County, the cooperative emphasized member communications with the headline "WE CARE" and asked affected customers to report outages immediately.

Navopache provided direct reporting instructions and an automated process for customers: "If your power is out, report the outage at 928.368.5118 #1." Customers may also call 928.368.5118 or toll-free 800.543.6324 to check or report outages. Navopache's site explains that "When you call our automated outage reporting system, if you are not calling from the phone number that is associated with your account, it will ask you for one of these pieces of information to identify the location of your outage report: Account Number, Billing Phone Number, Your Meter Number," and that "Once your service location is identified, an outage ticket will be generated and sent directly to our dispatch center."

Damage and service interruptions persisted into the following day. "UPDATE: As of Wednesday (12/14) night, some people are still left without power," KSJD posted in its update. Visual reporting from the local outlet and KSJD documented downed lines and snapped limbs across the Navajo Nation.

Navopache also highlighted regional risk factors that compound outages in eastern Apache County and the White Mountains: "The White Mountains see up to 16 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes per two square miles each year," and the cooperative notes some areas receive "Annual snowfall of up to 100 inches," conditions that historically contribute to line damage when extreme weather occurs.

Local officials and utilities remain the primary sources for restoration status. NWS Flagstaff's advisory language is archived for historical record and residents seeking repairs in Navopache territory are directed to 928.368.5118 #1 or toll-free 800.543.6324 to report outages and damaged equipment.