Strong winds knock out power in Whitefish area

A power outage Friday afternoon affected more than 7,000 households served by Flathead Electric Cooperative in the Whitefish area and the U.S. 93 corridor between Whitefish and Kalispell.

The outage was the result of a large gust of wind that knocked a large tree onto a transmission line at the intersection of Montana 40 and Whitefish Stage Road at 3:34 p.m., according to Wendy Ostrom-Price, public relations officer for Flathead Electric.

Crews were assessing the damage as of 5 p.m. There was no estimate for when power was to be restored.

The National Weather Service had issued a wind advisory for the Flathead Valley through 9 p.m. Winds of 25 to 35 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph, were expected.