An Open Letter To Montana’s Power Workers

Dear Western Montana Power Workers,

Thank you for all that you have done for our communities this summer. You have been dealing with the aftermath of storm after storm that has caused havoc on the power grid. There have been thousands of households that have been without power this summer. You have been working tirelessly to continue to get power back restored.

Western Montana has seen its share of major storms this year. We have seen storms with winds up to 70 and 109 mph, with hail, lightning, and heavy rain. While those storms are still raging, you are out there working to get power back on for the people that need it.

Read More: Why Is Missoula Experiencing So Many Thunderstorms Recently? 

I have lived in Missoula pretty much my entire life and I have never seen power outages this big and for this long. I never had to prepare for long-term outages with lanterns, head lamps and flashlights, like we had to this summer. The outages got me thinking more about natural disasters, like tornadoes, and hurricanes, and how some parts of the country deal with this on a more regular basis. I have been very lucky that I haven't had to prepare for situations like that very often here in Montana.

During Covid there was a time when people around the country would go outside and howl, yell, and bang on pots and pans to show healthcare workers how much their work was appreciated. Is that something we should consider doing for the power workers? On second thought maybe yelling and banging on pots isn't the best idea since they probably need their sleep so they can go back out again and do it all over again. For now, hopefully a thank you will do.

So Thank You all for your continued hard work and dedication. It is much appreciated.

Sincerely,

Chris Wolfe