Savage Windstorm Hits NW Montana | Drone Aerial Photographs

Published: March 17, 2020

Author/Pilot: Jared Doneen

Category Tags: NEWS

It began early Friday morning, as the wind grew from a slight breeze, to a constant 30 mph hum. If the 50 plus mph gusts didn’t shake you from your feet, the falling of thousands upon thousands of trees did.

To take a drive around the area that stretched from Whitefish, MT, to the small lakeside town of Swan Lake, 40 miles away, would lend imagery of sparking powerlines, wandering wildlife, and trees snapped in two, assuming they had the strength to not be ripped from the ground.

The event saw Flathead Electric Cooperative set up a webpage dedicated specifically to providing updates as the weather phenomenon played out. As power outages grew to nearly 1,500 by Friday night, the wind continued to play havoc in the dark, kicking trees over as a 5 year old would a block tower, causing the number to climb to over 4,300 by the following morning.

While the power company did what they could to restore power, calling on independent contractors and bringing in workers from neighboring utilities, the wind continued to howl through most of Saturday. Some members, my family included, had to get by without power for over 48 hours, while temperatures dipped into single digits overnight. Several remote, heavily treed areas still remained without power by Monday Night, over 72 hours since the chaos first began.

While some areas were hit worse than others, the devastation from Mother Nature has found many looking up at the remaining trees with a sense of suspicion, tossing the feeling of awe to the backseat. As of this weekend, my view of the Big Sky, has grown a bit bigger.

https://www.flatheadelectric.com/march-13-power-outage-updates/

https://www.kpax.com/weather/power-outages-affecting-over-1-000-people-in-northwest-montana

Savage Windstorm Drone Aerial Photograph 1

Savage Windstorm Drone Aerial Photograph 2