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South Dakota Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff event update

🔺March 12, 7:15 p.m. MST – Power has been restored to nearly all of the approximately 560 customers impacted by today’s Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff event in the Southern Hills. Included in the PSPS event were areas around Hot Springs, including the communities of Buffalo Gap and Oral.

While conditions have improved and the PSPS warning has now been cancelled, we will continue to monitor conditions to help keep our customers and communities safe.

There are a limited number of customers who remain without power because of wildfires in other parts of the Southern Hills.
 

🔺March 12, 5:20 p.m. MST – Weather conditions leading to elevated fire risk in the Southern Hills  areas have improved and it is now safe for our crews to begin patrolling lines in the area to make any repairs and begin safely restoring power to approximately 560 customers in areas impacted by the Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff in areas east and south of Hot Springs, in addition to Buffalo Gap and Oral.

The Restoration process following an Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff: 

Inspect – our crews will inspect potential damage to electrical equipment in the shutoff area. 
Repair – when damaged equipment is found, our crews will work to isolate the damaged area from the rest of the system so other parts of the system can be restored. 
Restore – once power lines are safe to energize, we will complete the process and restore power to affected areas with priority given to essential facilities.

We will provide outage restoration time estimates to impacted customers through text messages, emails and phone calls.  
 

🔺March 12, 3 p.m. MST – The current Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff in the Southern Hills area has expanded to include additional customers in the area near Minnekahta Junction, west of Hot Springs. This is in addition to the previously included areas; the eastern part of Hot Springs, as well as the Buffalo Gap, Oral and Maverick Junction areas. Approximately 560 customers are currently affected.

Power will remain off in these locations until conditions improve and it is safe to re-energize power lines serving these areas. The highest fire danger is forecasted until 5 p.m.

We’ll continue to keep impacted customers informed throughout this PSPS event through text messages, emails and phone calls. Visit blackhillsenergy.com/outages to view areas currently impacted by today’s PSPS.

 

🔺March 12, 2:20 p.m. MST – Hazardous wind gusts and low relative humidity are creating critical fire conditions today, with the highest fire danger forecasted until 5 p.m. 

To protect public safety, we’ve implemented an Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) for approximately 540 customers located in the eastern part of Hot Springs, as well as the Buffalo Gap, Oral and Maverick Junction areas. Power will remain off in these locations until conditions improve and it is safe to re-energize power lines serving these areas.

Before power can be restored, our crews must patrol power lines to ensure they are safe to be re-energized. This process may result in extended outages, depending on the location and extent of any damage to the system resulting from this hazardous weather event. We will continue to keep impacted customers informed throughout this PSPS event through text messages, emails and phone calls.

We’ll continue to keep impacted customers informed throughout this PSPS event through text messages, emails and phone calls. Visit blackhillsenergy.com/outages to view areas currently impacted by today’s PSPS.

 

🔺March 12, 1 p.m. MST – We are continuing to monitor weather conditions in the Southern Hills and will provide further updates as the information becomes available. At the time of this post, the affected areas previously shared remain in an Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff Warning. Hazardous fire weather conditions for this PSPS are forecasted until 5 p.m.

For information about the areas impacted by today’s PSPS, visit blackhillsenergy.com/outages.

 

🔺March 12, 10:30 a.m. MST – We have issued an Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff Warning that is now impacting approximately 730 customers in the Southern Hills areas south and east of Hot Springs into Edgemont. This area includes the communities of Ardmore, Buffalo Gap, Oral and Provo. Unless conditions change, we may proactively de-energize power lines in these areas beginning as early as noon today. Hazardous fire weather conditions for this Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) are forecasted from noon to 5 p.m.

The downtown areas of Hot Springs and Edgemont are not likely to be impacted. For information about the areas impacted by today’s PSPS, visit blackhillsenergy.com/outages.

We will continue to keep impacted customers informed throughout this PSPS event through text messages, emails and phone calls. More information is also available on Black Hills Energy’s website at blackhillsenergy.com/psps.

Customers outside the active Public Safety Power Shutoff area may also experience outages due to high winds, enhanced protection settings on our lines that help prevent wildfire ignitions when a fault is detected or other factors. Outages may last longer than usual since we’ll need to inspect the lines to make sure they can be re-energized safely.

 

🔺March 12, 7:50 a.m. MST – Hazardous wind gusts and extremely dry conditions are creating very dangerous fire conditions today. To protect public safety, we have issued an Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff Warning to approximately 730 customers in the Southern Hills areas south and east of Hot Springs into Edgemont, including Provo and Ardmore. Unless conditions change, we may proactively de-energize power lines in these areas beginning at noon today. Hazardous fire weather conditions for this Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) are forecasted from noon to 5 p.m.

The downtown areas of Hot Springs and Edgemont are not likely to be impacted. For information about the areas impacted by today’s PSPS, visit blackhillsenergy.com/outages.

Despite recent snow in the area, the windy conditions forecasted today will dry remaining moisture quickly, potentially leaving vegetation in the area as a prime fuel source for ignition.

We will pre-stage crews in impacted areas to expedite the restoration process. 

How you can prepare:

  • Keep your contact information up to date with us so we can provide safety notifications. Visit blackhillsenergy.com/my-account.
  • Have a backup plan for medicine that needs to be refrigerated or medical equipment that is powered by electricity. This could mean finding a place to go during an outage or having a backup generator.  
  • Build an emergency kit and plan and share with friends and neighbors.
  • If you see downed powerlines, stay away and call 911.

 
How to stay informed:

  • For information about the areas impacted by today’s PSPS, visit blackhillsenergy.com/outages. 
  • Customers are encouraged to make sure their contact information is up to date to receive phone calls, emails and text messages.

We'll continue to provide updates to media outlets, here on social media and on our website at blackhillsenergy.com/psps