Montana News
Missoula cleanup far from over after 'unprecedented' storm
Cleanup of last week's windstorm in Missoula could take months. Missoula city and county officials say more than a thousand trees were downed. Montana Public Radio's Alice Julin has more. City and county officials said last week's storm was an unprecedented disaster. 80-mile-an-hour winds downed power lines and trees across Missoula County. As of Monday afternoon, Northwestern Energy reported around 100 customers remaining without power. That's down from the nearly 40,000 reported Friday. There have been no reported deaths from the storm. The city estimates more than a thousand trees on public property were lost. There isn't a total yet for the number of trees down on private property. Fire Department Chief Gordy Hughes cautioned that standing trees can still be hazardous. The next wind event could certainly pose a large risk to the community at large. Look up, folks. If you're by a tree, make sure that you're safe and where you park your vehicles. Hughes said the city is inundated with debris cleanup. He asked the public to be careful with how they approach cleanups at home, especially with gas-powered chainsaws that could cause sparks in dry grass and start fires. The city, county, and state have all declared some form of disaster or emergency in response to the storm. The city is assessing damage to determine if it's appropriate to request a federal disaster declaration. In Missoula, I'm Alice Julin.