Damage from windstorm is ‘significant,’ ‘will take time to repair’

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A sudden and severe windstorm that rocked the Las Vegas Valley on Tuesday caused “significant” damage to power infrastructure, NV Energy says.

We’ve been tracking updates on these power outages throughout the afternoon as Channel 13 crews spread out across the valley to assess the impact of the severe weather.

As of 7 p.m. Tuesday, there are approximately 272 outages throughout Clark County impacting access to power for an estimated 20,485 NV Energy customers.

Wind gusts of up to 70 miles per hour in some areas blew over power poles, knocking out power to swaths of Southern Nevada residents.

NV Energy says it is aware of at least 50 poles that have been damaged by the wind and will need to be replaced.

Take a look at the damage to power lines near Tropicana Avenue and McLeod Drive in east Las Vegas:

Downed power lines in east Las Vegas

A company spokesperson wrote that additional crews have been called in to support the effort. The company says restoration crews will try to isolate each outage to the smallest number of customers possible while repairs are made.

“While our teams will work to restore power as quickly and safely as possible, the damage is significant and will take time to restore,” the company’s spokesperson wrote. “Our teams will continue to work throughout the evening and in the coming days to make necessary repairs.”

NV Energy customers were encouraged to sign up for outage alerts through their MyAccount online portal. In the meantime, a Clark County spokesperson says the county is “working to identify resources for those impacted by the power outages in partnership with NV Energy.”

“Additional information will be provided when it is available,” the spokesperson wrote.