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APS crews to fix 14 broken power poles along 35th and Peoria avenues after severe thunderstorm winds

power lines down
Posted at 4:34 PM, Jul 12, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-13 11:08:15-04

PHOENIX — APS crews are working to replace more than a dozen broken power poles after a monsoon storm brought severe thunderstorm winds along Peoria and 35th avenues.

The National Weather Service said there "could have been a brief microburst" but there was not a clear signal to track it. Winds were clocked in the area between 55 and 60 miles per hour.

Several roads are blocked around 35th Avenue from the broken power lines that fell Saturday night.

A spokesperson for APS said lineworkers will begin stringing new power lines around 5 o clock on Monday to help restore power to 30 commercial properties by Wednesday morning.

APS said they are working on three phases of cleanup:

Phase I of the APS response to this area focused on assessing the massive damage and safety concerns and restoring power. Crews were able to reroute power to half of the customers within an hour and continued to find solutions, including installing temporary cables on Sunday to carry power to all remaining residential customers.

Phase II, which began Sunday, involved clean-up of the area, removing debris, downed wires and broken poles.

Phase III began Tuesday with the installation of new power poles and later today, the stringing of power lines. Crews are working as quickly and safely as they can and hope to have the infrastructure in place to restore power to the remaining 30 commercial customers Wednesday morning.

APS said customers should always be prepared for power outages and recommend having an emergency kit that includes: a flashlight, extra batteries, portable cell phone charger, battery-powered radio, first-aid kit and water

APS adds tips on what to do during a power outage:

  • Keep your phone fully charged. Keep a portable charger and car charger handy.
  • Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Food will stay cold for up to 4 hours in the fridge and longer in the freezer.
  • Turn off and unplug electrical equipment and appliances to avoid electrical spikes when power is restored. After power is restored, wait 5-10 minutes to plug in and turn on major appliances and electrical equipment.
  • Do not try to repair electrical problems on your own, please call APS or a certified electrician. Visit aps.com/safety for more information on how to be safe around energy.