Power mostly restored in Henderson after overnight storm
More than 400 NV Energy customers in Henderson were still without power Friday afternoon after a late-night thunderstorm brought down power lines on Boulder Highway.
Boulder Highway between Russell and Sunset roads remained closed Friday afternoon while crews work to repair damage to the power lines. Officials were hoping to open the southbound lanes of Boulder Highway between Russell and Sunset by 4 p.m., Nevada Department of Transportation spokesman Tony Illia said. Their plan was to try to squeeze northbound and southbound traffic into the southbound lanes.
Illia said 31 power poles were downed in the valley as a result of the storm.
Other outages were in the valley diminishing as of 2:45 p.m., with about 500 total customers without power, down from a peak of about 26,000 late Thursday.
According to NV Energy’s website, most outages were in Henderson. About 7,000 customers briefly lost power in the far west valley around 9:30 a.m., but most appeared to have electricity restored soon afterward.
More than 100 customers were without power in the far south valley near Southern Highlands Parkway and Dean Martin Lane.
The city of Henderson opened an emergency shelter at the Heritage Park Senior Facility, 300 S. Racetrack Road, so residents still without power can take refuge from the heat. The city recommends leaving pets with friends or families, as animals are not allowed in the shelter.
As of 2:35 p.m., no one had used the resources at the pop-up shelter, according to city spokeswoman Angela Summers. The city announced the shelter was open about 7 a.m.
The power lines alongside Boulder Highway came down late Thursday as a powerful thunderstorm cell swept the area, falling across the road and several cars near East Sunset Road, Henderson Fire Department spokeswoman Kathleen Richards said.
The National Weather Service reported winds between 60 and 75 mph when a storm passed over Boulder Highway about 9:22 p.m. Thursday.
The Fire Department responded to help people get out of their cars and navigate around the live power lines. One person was examined by medical personnel at the scene, Richards said, but no one was hospitalized.
A traffic signal at Galleria Drive and Gibson Road was physically damaged, and flaggers were set to direct traffic at the intersection, Illia said. Road closures near the intersection could remain in effect until Monday, he said.
A thunderstorm buffeted Henderson and the east valley, leaving at least 26,000 NV Energy customers without power at 10 p.m. Thursday night. At the same time, the National Weather Service had measured about three-quarters of an inch of rain just east of the valley.
Richards said about 18,000 Henderson homes lost power. NV Energy spokeswoman Jennifer Shuricht said the company had seven crews working across the valley overnight to restore power.
Weather damage was to blame for the majority of outages, Shuricht said Thursday night.
The City of has opened an emergency shelter for residents that don’t have power at Heritage Park Senior Facility, 300 S. Racetrack Rd. Pets aren’t allowed and should be placed with family/friends. Call 702-267-2950 for info. If you know anyone who needs help, call 3-1-1. pic.twitter.com/WACeNlj17B
— City of Henderson (@cityofhenderson) July 20, 2018
Contact Max Michor at mmichor@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0365. Follow @MaxMichor on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writers Katelyn Newberg, Mike Shoro and Rio Lacanlale contributed to this report.
