High Winds Cut Power to Thousands in Anchorage and Mat-Su

Strong winds downed trees and cut power to thousands of Alaskans from Anchorage to the Matanuska-Susitna Valley on Friday morning, the Anchorage Daily News reported. As of 8:30 a.m., Matanuska Electric Association reported more than 8,800 members without power, and Chugach Electric Association reported more than 7,600 in Anchorage.

The National Weather Service in Anchorage had a high wind warning for the Anchorage Bowl and Glenn Highway corridor until 11 a.m. and warned of gusts up to 80 mph on the Anchorage Hillside, the Daily News reported. Gusts of 70 to 79 mph were recorded on the Chugach Front Range peaks. Alaska’s News Source reported Thursday night that a warning covered the Anchorage and Eagle River hillsides, with gusts up to 75 mph forecast, and that rain would continue into Friday.

Chugach Electric urged residents not to approach downed lines or try to cut trees themselves, and said crews work from the largest outages to the smallest unless a hazard such as a fire or a line across a road requires otherwise.