Thousands of Bitterroot Valley residents were without power this afternoon following a thunderstorm packing wind gusts unofficially estimated at close to 70 mph.
Ravalli Electric Co-Op estimates at least 7,000 customers were without power from roughly south of Darby, north to the county line near Missoula.
Co-Op officials say there are multiple trees down that have knocked over lines and broken equipment.
Crews are dispatched and working to repair the damage.
Further north, Missoula Electric Co-op estimates the storm knocked out power for more than 800 customers near Seeley Lake. Power for hundreds more also went out in Missoula County.
The storm comes nearly a month to the day of another powerful storm that hit Missoula. City and county officials described that July 24th storm as ‘unprecedented’.
