More than 40,000 customers across Washington County, Utah, lost electricity Thursday evening after a major transmission-system problem triggered widespread outages around St. George. Dixie Power and Rocky Mountain Power customers were affected, while dark traffic signals created additional safety concerns as crews worked to restore service.
The outages were reported shortly after 5 p.m. MDT on August 27. Dixie Power reported approximately 27,000 customers without power, while Rocky Mountain Power reported more than 13,000 affected customers across Washington County.
The combined figures explain why some early reports citing roughly 12,000 to 13,000 outages understated the county-wide impact: those numbers primarily reflected Rocky Mountain Power customers rather than customers across both utilities.
What caused the St. George power outage?
Dixie Power said the county-wide disruption involved a failure of a significant asset within PacifiCorp’s transmission system, which serves electric utilities throughout Washington County.
A transmission problem can have a much wider impact than a neighborhood distribution failure. High-voltage transmission infrastructure carries large amounts of electricity across the regional grid before local utilities deliver it to homes and businesses. That helps explain why customers served by different utilities lost electricity at approximately the same time.
The specific transmission asset that failed and the technical reason for the failure were not identified in the initial information. There was no confirmed evidence in the reports provided that a fire, aircraft or another specific external incident caused the problem.
When will power be restored?
Initial Rocky Mountain Power estimates indicated that some customers could remain without electricity into the early morning hours of August 28. The estimate was subject to change as crews investigated and repaired the problem.
Restoration can occur in stages, meaning one neighborhood may regain electricity before another nearby area. Customers should therefore check their address through their electricity provider rather than relying on an earlier county-wide estimate.
Dixie Power customers can check the official Dixie Power outage map for current conditions. Rocky Mountain Power customers should use their utility’s outage service for location-specific restoration information.
St. George Police warn residents about 911 calls
The blackout knocked out traffic signals in parts of St. George. Police instructed motorists to treat non-working traffic lights as four-way stops and urged drivers to use additional caution.
Police also asked people not to call 911 simply to report an electricity outage or dark traffic signal. Emergency lines need to remain available for situations requiring immediate police, fire or medical assistance.
Summer heat increases the outage risk
The timing is particularly important because the outage occurred during southern Utah’s summer heat. An extended loss of air conditioning can pose additional risks for older adults, young children and people who are especially vulnerable to high temperatures.
Residents should check on vulnerable relatives or neighbors and conserve phone batteries. Anyone relying on electrically powered medical equipment should follow their backup plan and seek appropriate assistance if they cannot safely remain without electricity.
Emergency preparedness becomes especially important when utilities and other essential services are disrupted. Residents facing rapidly changing conditions during the Reno Hawk Fire evacuation emergency similarly had to follow official safety instructions as conditions developed.
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Food and generator safety during the outage
Refrigerator and freezer doors should remain closed as much as possible to preserve cold temperatures. Food that has become unsafe because of inadequate refrigeration should be discarded rather than consumed.
Portable generators, grills and other fuel-burning equipment should never be operated inside homes, garages or enclosed spaces because they can produce deadly carbon monoxide.
Major emergencies can disrupt electricity and other infrastructure simultaneously. The Pomas tornado that damaged hundreds of homes in France is another example of why households benefit from being prepared for unexpected interruptions to essential services.
Residents may also unplug sensitive electronics to reduce the risk of damage from electrical surges when service returns.
What remains unknown?
While the outage has been linked to a significant problem within PacifiCorp’s transmission system, officials had not initially disclosed exactly which asset failed or what caused the equipment failure.
It was also not established whether heat, electricity demand or another factor contributed to the incident. Those details should not be assumed until the utilities provide further technical information.
Outage totals and restoration estimates can change rapidly as circuits return to service. Customers still without electricity should rely on Dixie Power, Rocky Mountain Power and local authorities for the latest neighborhood-level information.
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