South Dakota Extreme Wind Weather Event
Recent extreme wind conditions caused significant damage across South Dakota, leading to widespread outages. Black Hills Energy crews are working to restore power as safely and quickly as possible. Here’s what you need to know:
For current outage information:
- Check outage map: View our online outage map for real-time updates on outages in your area.
- Stay informed: Sign up for alerts in your online account profile to receive updates by text, email, or phone. We’ll also provide updates here and on our Facebook page.
- Safety information: The safety of our crews and customers are our number one priority. Visit our Electric Safety section for more ways to stay safe and prepared during an outage and extreme-weather event.
- Additional support: Please reach out to 2-1-1 at 211.org or the Red Cross at 844-292-7677.
Our restoration process
After severe wind damage, when it’s safe to do so, crews must:
- Assess and repair downed lines, poles and damaged equipment.
- Remove debris and make sure the area is safe before restoring power.
- Restoration times may vary based on the extent of damage and weather conditions.
- Our first priority is to get power back on to critical services.
Please note: Power may be out in some parts of the service territory for an extended time, potentially through the weekend—especially in rural areas farther from main power feeders. Utility crews from eastern South Dakota, North Dakota, and Colorado are traveling to support the restoration effort.
Check for damage
Extreme winds may have caused damage to customer-owned equipment, including service masts, that need to be repaired before we can safely re-energize power. We encourage you to check around your home or business for damages, debris, loose or broken limbs, or downed trees that could cause damage to powerlines or electrical infrastructure if they fall.
What to do:
✔ Check for damage to your service mast (look, don’t touch—it may be energized).
✔ Contact a certified electrician if repairs are needed.
✔ The electrician will coordinate with us and an inspector to restore service safely.
✔ Check breakers and fuses.
✔ Look for debris, broken limbs, or downed trees that could damage power lines.
If you receive a restoration notice but still have no power, report it online at blackhillsenergy.com/outages or call 888-890-5554. You may experience intermittent outages as crews work—please report any new outages online.
Event updates
🔺 Dec. 23, 4 p.m. MT: With power restored to the vast majority of customers impacted by last week’s severe windstorm, we’re now returning to normal operations.
As residents complete repairs made to their homes and service masts, they are encouraged to contact us directly at 888-890-5554 to arrange for their service to be turned back on.
Power restoration work will be ongoing in areas of Custer State Park where some seasonal homes and campgrounds remain without power.
We’d like to express our sincere appreciation to our customers and communities as we worked to restore power to more than 25,000 customers impacted by this record-breaking windstorm. While our system is built to withstand high winds, wind gusts up to 100 miles per hour caused extensive damage to our system. Over the past seven days, we’ve replaced hundreds of power poles, repaired countless powerlines, and leaned on the expertise of over 150 linemen and hundreds of support teams to safely restore power to our customers.
Important reminders for our customers:
- Please report if you have had a new or secondary power outage. This is not uncommon in the days following a large storm. Strong winds can weaken trees or limbs that may later give way, impacting electric infrastructure like power lines.
- Your power may be impacted by other factors. Please check your breakers and fuses.
- If you see a damaged powerline, stay away and contact Black Hills Energy immediately at 888-890-5554.
- Make sure your electric meter is free from damage and the area around your meter is clear. This will help us confirm service to your property.
🔺 Dec. 23, 8 a.m. MST - Our crews are out again in full force today, continuing to repair significant damage to powerlines and equipment in the Southern Hills. Restoration work will continue in the Custer and Hill City areas, where trees and debris have led to numerous broken power poles and electrical wires down. As of 7 a.m., approximately 250 customers remain without power.
🔺 Dec. 22, 7:00 a.m. MST - As of 7 a.m., approximately 685 customers remain without power. This is due primarily to extensive tree damage, broken poles and downed infrastructure. As crews gain access to these areas, they are also finding damage to customer-owned equipment, including service masts that need to be repaired before our crews can safely re-energize power to individual homes.
Important reminders for our customers:
- Estimated restoration times can change based on actual conditions and assessments.
- If you receive a notification that your power has been restored and are still experiencing an outage, contact us at blackhillsenergy.com/outages
- Customers with power may experience intermittent outages as crews restore the system to normal operating conditions.
- Your power may be impacted by other factors. Please check your home for damage to your service mast and also check your breakers and fuses. Visit our electric safety page for more information.
🔺 Dec. 21, 5:30 p.m. MST - We understand extended outages can be difficult and apologize it’s taking longer to restore your power than originally predicted. The extent of damage from this storm is significant and we continue to work hard to repair service.
Our team remains focused on restoration in the Black Hills and will continue working into the evening. Based on current progress, the estimated time of restoration for some areas still without power is tomorrow, Dec. 22 by 7 p.m.
We’ll continue to provide updates if restoration timelines change.
Important: If you receive a notification from us that your power has been restored, and you’re still without power, please let us know online or call 888-890-5554. In some cases, customer-owned equipment, such as a service mast or breaker, may prevent power from being restored.
What we’ve worked on this weekend
With improved weather conditions, crews were able to complete helicopter inspections over the hardest-hit areas. This bird’s eye view confirmed extensive damages including downed powerlines, broken utility poles, significant damage and multiple repairs needed in hard-to-access terrain.
This level of damage adds complexity to restorations and repairs can be time-consuming.
We understand the impact
If you need additional support, please reach out to the Red Cross at 844-292-7677.
Thank you for your patience during this challenging restoration effort. Our crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore your power, we truly appreciate your understanding.
🔺 Dec. 21, 12 p.m. MST - As of noon today, approximately 1,000 customers remain without power. Power is back on for the majority of customers in the Northern Hills and Rapid City. We’ll continue working throughout the day and into the evening to restore power to as many customers as possible. It’s likely that some customers in areas of significant damage will still be without power overnight.
We remind customers to stay clear of downed lines and be aware of heavy equipment and crews working in the area. Please remember to give our crews space so they can do their job safely and efficiently.
🔺 Dec. 21, 8:00 a.m. MST - With most of the restoration now completed in the Northern Hills area, our crews will concentrate their efforts today in the Southern Hills, Custer and Rapid City areas. While more than 90% of customers have been restored, complex repairs are needed before power can be restored to the nearly 1,400 customers remaining impacted by extensive tree damage and downed infrastructure.
We estimate the majority of remaining customers will be restored by Sunday night. Thank you for your continued patience.
🔺Dec. 20, 6:00 p.m. MST - We estimate nearly all customers will be restored by the end of the weekend.
After the highest winds recorded in the region, over 150 linemen and hundreds of supporting team members have restored power to all but about 2,000 customers this evening. Customers still without power will receive automated notifications on an estimated time of restoration. These are estimates and can change based on the extent of damages in certain areas caused by the historic storm. We are committed to continuing restoration efforts to restore power to the remaining customers as quickly and safely as possible.
For more information visit blackhillsenergy.com/extremewind-sd.
🔺Dec. 20, 1:03 p.m. MST - We are continuing restoration efforts in the hardest hit areas of this week’s severe wind storm. We are focusing extra crews where tree damage is extensive, road access is limited, and powerlines remain down. As of 1 p.m., power has been restored to nearly 90% of customers, with approximately 2,700 customers left to restore.
For more information visit blackhillsenergy.com/extremewind-sd.
🔺Dec. 20, 9:35 a.m. MST - Crews continue working to restore power to customers. More than 85% of affected customers have been restored, and teams remain fully committed to bringing service back to every home and business as quickly and safely as possible. Less than 1650 in the area west of Rapid City to include pockets within the city limits, west Rapid and the Pactola area, 100 in the Northern Hills and 1800 in the Southern Hills remain without power.
As restoration progresses, the remaining outages are concentrated in more isolated and difficult-to-access areas. This means the process takes longer as crews work on smaller pockets of customers spread across challenging terrain and closed roads. While the coordinated effort is making steady progress, restoration timing can vary by location as teams address damage.
Outage updates are also available on the web at
blackhillsenergy.com/extremewind-sd.
🔺Dec. 19, 8:15 p.m. MST - With today’s progress, power has been restored to more than 85% of the 26,000 customers impacted by this record-breaking storm. As of 7:30 p.m., approximately 3700 customers remain without power.
We will continue restoration efforts throughout the weekend, working until the power is restored for all customers. Crews will be centered in areas where tree damage is extensive, road access is limited, and powerlines are down. The company urges caution around downed powerlines. Do not try to remove any debris if it is on a powerline or outdoor electrical equipment. If you see a downed powerline, stay away and call 911.
🔺Dec. 19, 5:15 p.m. MST - Our crews will continue power restoration efforts into the evening, working to restore power to as many customers as possible. Due to the extent of the damage to the electric system, approximately 5,000 customers remain without power at this time. This number is expected to go down in the next few hours as work is ongoing. Customers are advised to prepare for outages that may last overnight and potentially into the weekend. For those needing disaster assistance, please contact the American Red Cross at 844-292-7677.
🔺Dec. 19, 12:45 p.m. MST - Our crews continue to work to restore power from the extreme wind storm throughout today. Approximately 6,700 customers currently remain without power. Individual neighborhoods and remote areas of the service territory may take longer to restore with extended outages likely to last overnight and into the weekend.
Black Hills Energy will notify customers when their power has been restored through email, text and phone calls. We encourage customers to view outage updates here or on our outages map page.
🔺Dec. 19, 10:00 a.m. MST - Currently, approximately 8,400 customers remain without power. Before powerlines can be re-energized, we must visually inspect the lines and equipment for damage and confirm that utility equipment is free from debris and lines are cleared of fallen tree limbs, which could pose a fire hazard. We will continue these inspections throughout the day on foot, using all-terrain vehicles in hard to access areas, and by helicopter, if weather conditions allow, in the hardest hit areas of the Northern and Southern Black Hills.
As a safety precaution, if you see our crews working in your area, please drive slowly and give them extra room on the road. We encourage customers to view outage updates here or on our outages map page.
🔺Dec. 19, 7:00 a.m. MST - Good morning, our crews are having their safety briefing and getting ready to head out to continue restoration to the remaining customers impacted from the extreme high winds. We've had additional crews travel from our neighboring states and crews from partner utilities to help the restoration effort.
🔺Dec. 18, 9:00 p.m. MST - This will be our last update tonight; we’ll provide more information tomorrow morning. Some areas may remain without power for an extended amount of time, potentially through the weekend, especially in rural locations farther from main power feeders. We appreciate the patience and understanding shown by our customers throughout this process and want to thank our emergency managers, first responders, local and state officials and city and county leaders for their partnership and response.
To report an outage, go to our online outages map page.
🔺Dec. 18, 6:00 p.m. MST - Our crews will continue to work into the early evening to restore power following damage caused by downed power lines and damaged poles from the extreme wind storm. Due to the extent of the damage, some outages may last overnight and could extend through the weekend. Customers without power after 7 p.m. this evening are encouraged to prepare to be without power overnight.
We’ve worked tirelessly to safely restore service to over 60% of the impacted customers from the weather event. Currently, less than 9,000 customers remain without power. Those without power should continue to prepare for an extended outage through the night.
Please keep these safety tips in mind.
- Assume any downed power line is energized. Never touch or attempt to pick up a fallen line. Do not try to rescue someone in contact with a power line.
- Do not open your refrigerator or freezer more than necessary. Undisturbed food will remain frozen in most freezers for 12 to 48 hours.
- Use generator safely, it needs to be in a well-ventilated area. Never operate it indoors or in your garage.
- Check on family members, neighbors or others who may need assistance during extended outages.
If you need additional support, please reach out to the Red Cross at 844-292-7677.
Restoration efforts will continue as crews safely assess damage and complete remaining repairs. We appreciate your patience and understanding as our crews work as safely and quickly as possible to restore service.
For more outage details and updates please follow this page and our social media.
🔺Dec. 18, 3:00 p.m. MST - We have additional crews coming from South Dakota, Colorado and North Dakota to help restore power and repair damage caused by extreme winds. Crews are working to reach impacted areas but travel remains difficult. We appreciate your patience and support for these crews as they work as safely and quickly as possible in these conditions. Stay informed here and on social media.
🔺Dec. 18, 12:38 p.m. MST - We continue responding to emergency situations and restoration effort are ongoing. We urge caution around downed powerlines. Do not try to remove any debris if it is on a powerline or outdoor electrical equipment. If you see a downed powerline, stay away and call 911. If you are receiving notifications that your power has been restored but are still without power, please report your outage on our online outage map.
🔺Dec. 18, 10:00 a.m. MST - With improving weather conditions, crews are patrolling the electric system to inspect for downed powerlines and damages so power restoration activities can safely continue.
▪️Use caution around downed powerlines.
▪️Do not try to remove any debris if it is on a powerline or outdoor electrical equipment.
▪️If you see a downed powerline, stay away and call 911.
▪️Assume any downed power line is energized.
🔺Dec. 18, 7:58 a.m. MST - We are responding to multiple power outages due to extreme high winds. Approximately 16,000 customers in the Black Hills area are currently without power. Crews are inspecting damage and making repairs. We'll continue to provide ongoing updates here and on our social media.
🔺Dec. 18, 4:30 a.m. MST - The high winds are causing many outages across our service territory. Our crews are responding to emergency situations and will continue restoration as soon as it’s safe to do so.
Please follow us here or on social media for updates as this weather event continues.
Stay safe:
▪️ Assume any downed power line is energized. Never touch or attempt to pick up a fallen line. Do not try to rescue someone in contact with a power line.
▪️ Unplug sensitive computer and electronic equipment or protect them with a high-quality surge protector.
▪️ Leave a lamp or electric radio on so you know when service is restored.
▪️ Do not open your refrigerator or freezer more than necessary. Undisturbed food will remain frozen in most freezers for 12 to 48 hours.
▪️ Use generator safely, it needs to be in a well-ventilated area. Never operate it indoors or in your garage.
You can visit our online outage map to see current outages in your area.
Frequently asked questions
How can I see if my area is without power?
You can check our online outage map for updates. The map shows affected areas and the number of customers impacted.
What should I do if I see a downed power line?
Leave the area immediately and never touch the line or anything in contact with it (including trees, fences, or water). Call 911 immediately and then report it to Black Hills Energy at 888-890-5554.
Is it safe to clear debris near power lines?
No. Never attempt to clear debris that is touching or near a power line. Wait for crews to handle it. If you see debris on or near electrical equipment, report it to Black Hills Energy.
Do I need to call an electrician?
Severe winds can damage a home’s service mast – a mast is on the outside of the home’s roof or meter and looks like a metal tube or pipe. The mast feeds electricity to the home from overhead power lines. Homeowners are encouraged to look at the mast – but do not touch, because it’s energized – and if it appears to be loose, bent, or damaged, contact a certified electrician to schedule a repair. Additional information can be found by going to our electric storm safety page.
How can I keep my family safe during an outage?
- Use flashlights instead of candles to reduce fire risk.
- Keep generators outdoors and away from windows to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Avoid opening refrigerators and freezers to keep food cold longer.
- Stay away from damaged poles, wires and electrical equipment.
Who should I contact for an emergency?
If you see a dangerous situation like a downed power line, call 911 first, then report it to Black Hills Energy at 888-890-5554.