Bonners Ferry Local Guide including all of Boundary County Idaho

Residents coping following storm's wallop

Tuesday, July 3, 2007; DB

As of Monday, 2,500 Northern Lights customers remained without electricity, with the majority in the Priest Lake and Bonners Ferry areas, said the utility's communications director, Elissa Glassman. Bob Howard, director of Bonner County Emergency Management, said he understands Northern Lights plans to have all power restored by tonight. July3 After the storm hit, a majority of its 17,000 rural customers from Athol north to the Canadian border were without power, Glassman said. "The storm tore a path that hit hard in Priest Lake, Bonners and in between," she said. "We had at least 70 broken poles we've been replacing. It's like building a system." Avista, which serves the Sandpoint and Priest River areas, as of Sunday afternoon had restored power, said company spokesman Hugh Imhof. More than 13,000 were without electricity after the storm; the majority of customers in Sandpoint had it restored by 10:30 p.m. Friday. - Full Story