Power mostly restored in Reno area after high winds left thousands without it over weekend

RENO, Nev. — Thousands of NV Energy customers in the Reno and Carson City areas had their power restored Monday, after high winds caused mass outages over the weekend.

The outages came during an 18-hour high wind event in the Northern Nevada region, with wind speeds as high as 80 miles per hour, according to NV Energy, resulting in downed power lines and even fallen poles.

While the winds are calmer for the time being, NV Energy said it is important for people to know the dangers of downed power lines and how to respond if you come across one.

"If the public encounters a downed power line, those are extremely dangerous," NV Energy Vice President of Government and External Relations Ryan Bellows said. "They should assume that that is an energized power line, and so they should call both 911 and NV Energy right away to report that so that we can come out and access the situation and restore power."

Bellows said there are other actions that people can take in preparation of large wind events like the one last weekend that can help prevent outages.

"Make sure patio furniture is tied down, loose belongings are tied down outside and that you're prepared so that those objects don't become projectiles and fly into NV energy infrastructure," Bellows said.

To view real-time outages within the state, click here.