Nearly 6,000 homes and businesses in the Flagstaff area could have their power shut off Wednesday due to high winds.
Arizona Public Service announced it may shut power off in certain areas due to the wildfire risk posed by high winds. APS said rapidly changing weather, dry terrain and extreme winds elevate the risk, and electrical equipment could start or contribute to a wildfire.
APS said customers in eastern Flagstaff will be most impacted, as well as in other communities such as Cosnino and Doney Park.
APS said power could be shut off as early as 9 a.m. Wednesday, and the length of the shutoff will depend on weather behavior and the extent of potential damage to electrical lines and equipment.
Carter Humphreys with the National Weather Service says gusts could be as high as 50 miles per hour.
“This is fairly typical for this time of year,” Humphreys said. “We just get these systems that pass through to our north and create some breezy to gusty winds as we head into spring. So, you know, 40 to 50 miles an hour in the spring isn't really anything too uncommon.”
Humphreys urged residents to take fire precautions, such as not parking on grass or throwing cigarettes out the window.
-
As Gov. Katie Hobbs and Republican lawmakers negotiate the next state budget, dozens of local officials throughout the state are calling on them to include a new tax incentive to boost affordable housing in rural communities. -
This week, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management is taking the reins of an annual cleanup event to help protect Flagstaff communities from wildfire. -
It has been one of the hottest winters and now spring is on record in Arizona this year. There has never been a hotter March recorded in Phoenix than last month. The Valley's temperatures were an astonishing 12 degrees above normal. -
Starting in May, ADOT will replace 370 light fixtures along Interstate 17 and Interstate 40 in Flagstaff, as well as stretches of Route 66. -
In an April 7 press release, officials with the city and the Flagstaff Police Department say ICE has confirmed a lease agreement for two suites inside a business complex.
