UPDATE: July 29 at 1:22 p.m.
Missoula County officials have ended the water conservation alert Sunday that was in effect in the South Hills and Linda Vista areas.
According to a social media post from Missoula County, all Missoula water pumping locations are fully operational, and all customers can go back to their regular water usage.
Residents with Septic Tank Effluent Pumping (STEP) can irrigate but should continue to conserve water to prevent sewage backup.
If drains begin to fill with sewage, call 406-523-4886 to leave a message.
UPDATE: July 28 at 1:15 p.m.
The following is a message from NorthWestern Energy regarding outages from Wednesday’s storm:
Crews will work until all customers in the Missoula area have power. Damage from the storm is extensive. If you are still out of power and have not reported the outage to NorthWestern Energy, please call 888-467-2669 or report your outage online.
If your outage has already been reported with a call, you do not need to report it again.
If your outage has already been reported online, PLEASE REPORT IT AGAIN.
However, if you are experiencing an outage and have not reported it, please call or use the online option. We need reported outage information to ensure restoration is comprehensive.
Many customers in the Missoula area have been without power since Wednesday night. We appreciate your patience. Know that our crews will continue work until all outages are repaired.
You can report an outage here.
UPDATE: July 26 at 6:37 p.m.
First responders are still working to fix the issues created by Wednesday night’s storm in Missoula.
The Missoula Police Department said on social media there are a lot of traffic lights out of power due to the outages and they may persist into the weekend.
Northwestern Energy is transferring more resources to assist with fixing the power outages.
According to MPD, officers are busy answering calls associated with crime, disturbances, and traffic control, and there are not enough officers to deal with traffic at all lights impacted.
Red Cross of Montana is offering support at the Elections Center in Missoula to community members who need to charge their personal and medical devices, air conditioning, and showers.
The center is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and people are asked to bring their own towels and toiletries.
People are asked to remain patient, cooperative, and safe during this time.
MISSOULA, Mont. – Missoula County is providing safety updates and resources for residents following Wednesday night’s destructive storm in the area.
Missoula Mayor Andrea Davis thanks all Missoula area residents “for your care and consideration as we manage the fallout of the storm that rolled through our area’ on Wednesday night, noting many are still without power and managing damage.
“I am incredibly grateful for the emergency responders and public employees who stepped in immediately, have worked day and night, to address safety concerns and coordination with the utility companies to get power up and running as quickly as possible,” Mayor Davis said in a statement Thursday afternoon.
She noted children in the area were able to get out and enjoy the Parks and Recreation kids camps on Thursday, despite loss of power and disorganized streets.
The mayor also asked for the community to check in with their neighbors and for anyone with extra resources such as snacks or sandwich supplies to please consider donating to the Poverello Center.
Residents can drop off debris from the storm for free for the next two weeks.
Debris drop-off
Garden City Compost is the primary dump site, so use this site first. Only dump debris in designated areas and follow all on-site instructions.
- Garden City Compost (1125 Clark Fork Lane)
- Fort Missoula (36th Street lot)
- Larchmont triangle (access of Post Siding Road)
- Playfair Park (west lost, north of ball fields)
- McCormick Park (east lot)
- Fort Missoula Ponds (access via 40th Avenue, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bus route changes
Routes 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, and 14 are running normally.
Route 9 is not running today due to road obstacles and downed power lines.
Route 12 is missing the inbound 39th & Barbara stop due to a downed power line. Outbound Route 12 is running normally.
Routes 2 and 3 are detouring to avoid a downed tree and power line on Scott Street and will miss the Scott & Sherwood and Phillips & Scott stops.
Resources and updates
The following is a release from Missoula County:
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With many people without power and power lines still down, please check on your neighbors to make sure they’re OK, especially if they’re elderly. 9-1-1 is busy taking many calls, and if you’re able to help your neighbors, this can relieve the pressure off our emergency communications and dispatchers.
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The Red Cross is staffing the Elections Center, 140 N. Russell St., for residents who need to charge essential personal devices. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. to provide electricity, air conditioning, a shower (