Wind gusts potentially reaching 70 mph swept through idaho Today, leaving customers without power
Strong to severe thunderstorms moved across southwest Idaho This afternoon and evening, cutting power to tens of thousands of Idaho Power customers across a wide stretch of the Treasure Valley and into surrounding counties. The storm system brought heavy rain, lightning, and wind gusts with the potential to reach 70 mph, knocking out service in multiple locations simultaneously as utility crews scrambled to respond.
Where the outages hit and how many were affected
The largest concentrations of outages were in and around Boise and Meridian, where more than 7,000 and 5,300 customers respectively were reported without power. In Eagle and Garden City, 1,580 customers lost service. About 2,260 customers near Nampa were also affected as of 4 p.m., with that outage having begun at 3:34 p.m. Idaho Power identified the suspected cause in Nampa as an object in the line. A crew was dispatched and restoration was estimated by 5:30 p.m.
A smaller outage near Gooding began at 3:15 p.m. and affected 77 customers, with weather listed as the suspected cause. A crew was on site and restoration there was also estimated by 5:30 p.m. About 57 customers in Payette were additionally without power.
Later Thursday evening, a separate outage emerged in Boise County, where nearly 4,000 Idaho Power customers lost electricity in and around Placerville, Crouch, and Horseshoe Bend. That outage was reported around 4:37 p.m. Idaho Power listed the cause as under investigation and estimated restoration by approximately 7 p.m.
Not all outages across the Treasure Valley had estimated restoration times listed on the Idaho Power outage map as of Thursday afternoon.
What the storm system brought
Severe thunderstorm warnings were active across southwest Idaho and southeast Oregon through Thursday evening. Meteorologists warned that the storms developing in the region had the potential to produce wind gusts up to 60 to 70 mph, blowing dust, small hail, and heavy downpours. Residents were advised to seek shelter when storms passed overhead.
Drivers in affected areas were reminded to treat intersections with darkened traffic signals as four-way stops. The combination of gusty winds, reduced visibility, and signal outages created hazardous road conditions across parts of the region.
The broader weather picture
The storm system affected not just the Treasure Valley but also areas further east and south, with the severe thunderstorm watch covering a broad zone. The storms were part of a weather pattern that had already prompted multiple alerts across the region, with forecasters tracking the potential for additional rounds of severe weather into the evening hours.
Idaho Power’s response involved dispatching crews across multiple affected areas simultaneously, with the utility updating its outage map as conditions changed and additional outages were reported. The scale of the simultaneous outages across communities from Boise to Horseshoe Bend reflected the geographic breadth of the storm’s path through the valley.
Customers were advised to check Idaho Power’s outage map for updates on restoration times specific to their area as the situation continued to develop through the evening.