(Helena, MT) — Montana Governor Greg Gianforte is issuing a disaster declaration in connection with Wednesday’s devastating wind storm. Gianforte issued the executive order yesterday. The governor says several Montana counties and towns suffered severe damage. Several areas experienced record-setting wind gusts. Bynum in Teton County saw top gusts of 104 miles per hour.
Thousands of households also remain without power across northwest Montana following Wednesday’s hurricane-force winds. Flathead Electric Cooperative says over six-thousand customers are still in the dark as of around midnight. Tens of thousands of people were without electricity at the height of the outage. The utility says it’s working around the clock to restore power and expects to possibly have it restored to most residents sometime today.
