Storm damage prompts IID to declare local emergency
EL CENTRO – For the second time this week, the Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors on Thursday was compelled to call a special meeting to pass a local emergency proclamation.
Directors voted 4-0 in favor of the proclamation to declare a local emergency after a powerful storm swept through the county on Tuesday evening. Division 5 Director Norma Sierra Galindo was not in attendance.
Per the resolution, the storm, which struck about 7: 30 p. m. damaged the district’s energy infrastructure and other property serving the areas located within Imperial County, including more than 100 transmission and distribution poles and associated infrastructure.
The damage caused the loss of electric utility service to more than 6,513 IID ratepayers. In addition, the storm event interrupted service to 10 geothermal producers requiring their shutdown.
The resolution said the damage resulting from the storm event is still being assessed by district personnel and will be incorporated into a comprehensive schedule of repairs to be performed.
IID Government Affairs and Communications Officer Antonio Ortega said all power has been restored to customers in Imperial County, but repairs to infrastructure are expected to continue into Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.
“We have 10 crews
currently working on repairs,” he said.
The emergency resolution opens the door for the district to seek any available state or federal assistance in addressing the damages.
The IID board passed a similar resolution on Tuesday after microburst storm on Monday knocked down 33 poles in North Shore and left 1,400 ratepayers without power.
Ortega said repairs were still underway in North Shore. He said 248 customers had their power restored late Wednesday, and 412 remained without power.
“Full restoration is expected by Saturday,” he said via email, “but (we’re) working hard to possibly get them all online tomorrow.”
For the affected North Shore area customers, the Yacht Club is open to residents as a cooling center from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the duration of the outage. Ice and bottled water are available at that location during the same hours.