Strong storms are in the forecast through Thursday, and Valley residents are bracing for rain and strong winds.
Conditions are expected to be similar to other storms that have affected the metro Phoenix area this monsoon season.
Jenna Shaver with Arizona Public Service said the majority of their clean-up continues to revolve around restoring power after hundreds of power poles toppled across the Valley this season.
“We saw 485 poles taken down by strong winds this summer. That is an 81-percent increase from last year,” Shaver said. “It’s due to those high winds that we have seen all summer. The past three weeks, alone, we’ve had five powerful storms.”
Shaver said this has been a record year for utility pole replacement, overall. Earlier this month, KJZZ reported APS had replaced more than 2,600 poles since June. Shaver said that number reflects the poles affected by storm related damage, aging wood and other poles needed to be changed for various maintenance.
