SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — Following the devastating windstorm Wednesday in the Inland Northwest, hotel owners say they are finally seeing consistent business for the first time since the pandemic began.
With temperatures in the high 20s at night, those without power are seeking a warm place to stay.
About 24,00 are still without power in Spokane and Kootenai County.
"It was really cold, I mean, almost to the point of seeing your breath," homeowner Dan Koehler said. "I was gonna need a flashlight to find my car because of how dark it was."
Koehler lives in Fernan Lake Village, ID. He and his family stayed at home after their power was knocked out by the deadly windstorm on Wednesday.
Avista originally estimated their power would be back on by the next morning. After watching his wife and son shiver all night, he found out his power wouldn't be back on until later this weekend.
Not wanting to freeze, they decided to book a hotel. They weren't the only ones with that idea.
"It was really full last night," he added about the crowd around the Coeur D'Alene's Motel 8. "I had to wait in line to check in behind about five or six other people."
General manager of the Holiday Inn Express in downtown Spokane Julie Cohen said she has not seen this many people in over a year.
"Every one of my staff have said, 'oh my gosh, it's so awesome to be this busy,'" Cohen said. "We're all about taking care of our guests, and so for us to actually have guests to take care of is amazing."
After laying off 75% of her staff due to the pandemic, Cohen never expected a windstorm of this magnitude to put her back in business. She sold out her 120 rooms by 5 p.m. the day of the storm.
"Mother Nature has her own way of handling things, she added. "And we appreciate her help on our end, but we're also here to support the community."
Koehler is happy to be warm, but wants answers from the electrical companies.
"Do I need to extend my hotel stay or not because if I wait for 10 tomorrow night, and it's still not back, Is there going to be a room available the next day?" he asked.
Many hotels, motels, and Airbnbs are being used as temporary homes. Even though Avista and Kootenai Electric say the power should be on by the end of this weekend, Koehler said it is better to be safe than sorry.