Montana Officials Warn Residents That Streams Might Be Electrified After Violent Windstorm

A Wednesday evening windstorm blasted western Montana so hard it knocked potentially live power lines into the waterways, shut down much of the region's electricity through Thursday afternoon and clogged the roads with debris.

One man was arrested for shooting at first responders in the early morning hours Thursday, the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office reported.

Emergency personnel are warning people to stay away from streams and other waterways, which may be electrified from downed power lines. They’re also warning people to “look up” to make sure breaking and dangling trees don’t fall on them.

The Water Might Be Electric

The Missoula storm winds reached a maximum speed of 109 mph, Nick Holloway, Missoula County deputy Disaster and Emergency Services coordinator, told Cowboy State Daily in a Thursday interview. That’s fast even for outflow winds, which generally range from 80-100 mph.

Holloway voiced a concern about waterways possibly being electrified by loose, downed power lines. His department is warning people to stay out of the water.

“Avoid waterways because there may be power lines in the water, and power and water don’t mix very well,” Holloway said.

Northwestern Energy, which Holloway said is helping with the power line emergency, did not immediately respond to a Thursday voicemail request for comment.

The disaster and emergency services department has sent out a team to find weakened trees that could fall on people, Holloway continued.

“Look up and make sure you know what you’re walking under,” he said.

The department is offering essential personal power device charging for units like oxygen machines and home dialysis at 140 North Russell St. in Missoula.

All Hands On Deck

Holloway said emergency personnel are encouraging locals to help with care and cleanup in the storm’s aftermath. People should check on their neighbors and the elderly. =

People also are encouraged to help clear debris from the streets, Holloway said.

He noted that just like Wyomingites, many Missoula County residents have pickups and can help in an overcome-and-haul-away debris clog.

The department is also encouraging people to sign up for its Smart 911 alerting application, Holloway said.

Shooting At A First Responder Vehicle

At about 2:17 a.m., Missoula County Sheriff’s Office deputies got a call for shots fired, where energy crews responding to hazards from the storm were working in the 100 block of River Pines Road, according to a statement the sheriff’s office dispatched to its Facebook page at midday Thursday.

A vehicle drove through the downed trees in the road and crashed into a nearby tree. With the vehicle still operational, the driver left the scene.

A few seconds later, reports surfaced of shots fired near where the energy crews were working, with at least one bullet striking a responder’s vehicle, the statement says.

The suspect was arrested.

“This is an isolated incident and there is no ongoing public safety risk,” says the statement.

However chaotic the situation, looters have not emerged, according to Missoula City Communications Director Ginny Merriam.

"No, we’re not in a situation where there would be looting. It’s not like the city is destroyed," said Merriam. "It’s just a very severe storm so we a have a lot of trees down, utility poles down."

Very Localized

The storm didn’t hit northern Wyomingites because these types of windstorms are “very localized,” Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day said Thursday.

But “they can happen here and do,” he added.

The “outflow” or “straight line” winds that develop as thunderstorms dissipate, said Day. They’re associated with periods of hot weather and thunderstorms. The rain evaporates as it falls, cooling the air below the thunderstorms and leaving a denser lower air level that gravity then sucks quickly to the ground.

Canyons and mountains make the rush more intense, Day added.

Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.