Two CVUSD schools to remain closed Thursday after winds knock down 76 power poles
Classes were canceled Thursday for a second day in a row at West Shores High School and Seaview Elementary and Middle School after strong winds knocked down 76 power poles around the area.
The Coachella Valley Unified School District announced the school closure on Wednesday evening once Imperial Irrigation District notified them that power would not be restored by Thursday. Families were notified via phone calls, emails, text messages and social media. No decision had been made about Friday's school as of mid-afternoon Thursday.
Around 2,500 customers were without electrical power in the Salton City and eastern Imperial County area after strong winds from Tuesday’s storm knocked down 76 power poles on a major transmission line, according to Imperial Irrigation District.
There may be some customers who won’t have power for more than a day and complete restoration may take several days, the power provider said in a release. But it expected to restore power to around 800 customers by Wednesday evening.
IID said district engineers and construction crews are re-routing power to the area and installing temporary power poles. But strong winds have decreased visibility and the power provider is still assessing the damage because of the remote location and terrain, IID added.
Energy Manager Jamie Asbury said IID also has asked other utilities for help and expects four additional crews to arrive at the scene by noon Thursday.
“We are working through solutions as diligently as we can as we go through this,” Asbury said, “And we appreciate the patience of our customers as we work under these difficult circumstances.”
There were 35 power poles that went down north of Salton City and 41 that went down south of the city, according to IID.
Ani Gasparyan covers the western Coachella Valley cities of Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City. Reach her at ani.gasparyan@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Two CVUSD schools to remain closed Thursday after winds knock down 76 power poles
