SPOKANE, Wash. — Four years ago to the day, an historic wind storm hit Spokane, killing two, and leaving nearly two hundred thousand without power.
Hurricane strength winds were recorded at the Spokane international airport, reaching speeds from 65 to 75 miles per hour.
A day after the storm Governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency.
Nearly two hundred thousand Avista customers lost power. The power company called it "the largest crisis Avista has experienced in the company's 126 year history" saying "indeed the entire region has been significantly impacted."
In the mean time, services around Spokane stepped up to help people get through until power could be restored.
The storm caused a city wide gas shortage, as many stations and terminals lost power, and people sought fuel to power generators.
Tree removal services throughout the city were in high demand, with some companies reporting lengthy backlogs, through mid-February of 2016.
After the city offered 18 days of free yard waste disposal, citizens made 7,700 visits to the Waste to Energy Facility, dropping off 3,000 tons of debris.
Auto-body shops in the area were booked through mid-January, fixing storm related damages.
For some citizens in Spokane, their homes, sheds, and cars were beyond repair.
Two people lost their lives during the storm, including celebrated Spokane artist Lea Ann Scott.
Restoring power to all Avista customers took around 10 days, with crews working through Thanksgiving night to get power lines up and running.
The effort was so large, utility companies from Nevada, Montana, Oregon, and California sent crews to help.
Power was officially restored to all customers by Nov. 27.
Avista said the 2015 windstorm better prepared the company for storms that came after it, implementing grid modernization, and moving poles and wires from problem locations.
In some areas, the storm's legacy is still impacting how power companies do business. Kootenai Electric recently got a federal grant that will move 50 miles of overhead powerlines underground, preventing the massive outages seen in 2015.
