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By RJ Morgan, County 17 News
The timing of Monday’s power outage at Gillette was tricky as it struck during the evening commute to work for many as it was reported just before 6 p.m.
Gillette communications director Jennifer Toscana said Wednesday afternoon the power outage lasted about 39 minutes and affected the entire south side of Gillette.
“We had 9,139 customers without power for about 39 minutes. This represented about 60% of our customers, â€Toscana confirmed to the electrical division of the town of Gillette on Wednesday.
The outage was caused by the Wyodak 69kV transmission lines galloping due to ice and wind.
Galloping transmission lines or power lines can occur when freezing rain creates icicles and ice on transmission towers and conductors. Strong winds push ice cubes and conductors and lift them up, creating a galloping or jumping motion.
Several businesses and residents told County 17 that their electricity “faltered” several times before collapsing completely.
Crews of electricians spent Monday night checking lines across town. They urge residents to always stay away from utility poles and lines if they believe galloping is occurring.
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