Storm Restoration Updates
Storm and Power Restoration Update
(9:30 p.m. 9/9/2026)
Crews are working on the final remaining outages caused by Tuesday’s storms, and they will continue working until all customers are restored. At 9 p.m. we were down to 243 customers remaining affected. We expect most of the remaining customers to be restored by 2 a.m. Thursday. There is one location affecting 24 customers that has three broken poles in rear-lot construction. This is south of Franklin Ave. and east of 6th Ave., and it is expected to be restored by 6 a.m. Three crews are working on this challenging location, and due to the extensive damage, it is expected to be the last restoration from the storm event.
Des Moines – There are 200 customers remaining out in the city of Des Moines. The largest remaining outage is a 105-customer outage between University Ave and I-235, where we have two crews nearing completion on repairs of several spans of overhead wire that were damaged by trees and debris. We expect these 105 customers to be restored in the next two hours.
Thank you for your patience as we have been coordinating these efforts and calling in extra help to ensure the safe return of service to each of our customers and the safety of our teams.
If your power is out, please report it online and continue to monitor our outage map for updates. You can also sign up for outage updates via email or text alerts by logging into your My Account profile.
Storm and Power Restoration Update
(4:15 p.m. 9/9/2026)
Thank you for your patience as our crews work to safely make repairs and restore power after last night's storms. We are down to 717 customers without power. We will continue making progress this evening and expect all remaining customers to be restored by midnight.
Des Moines – Crews continue working in areas near the Des Moines River and north of I-235, where significant tree damage has complicated restoration efforts. Tree and line crews are working together to safely clear damage and restore service.
A large distribution line was repaired near 22nd Avenue and Drake Park Avenue, returning power to about 550 customers after replacing a pole, repairing several crossarms and clearing multiple tree-related issues.
If you see a downed line, assume it's energized and do not approach it. For electric emergencies, like downed power lines, please call us at 1-800-799-4443.
If your power is out, please report it online and continue to monitor our outage map for updates. You can also sign up for outage updates via email or text alerts by logging into your My Account profile.
Storm and Power Restoration Update
(Noon 9/9/2026)
Progress continues today on the remaining areas impacted by the storm. At 11 a.m., we were down to 3,000 customers remaining affected; however, a circuit in Waukee recently tripped offline, causing an outage to an additional 1,700 customers. There are currently 4,740 customers out in central Iowa. We expect most will be restored by 6 p.m. and all customers by midnight.
Des Moines – Multiple crews continue to work in the area surrounding the Des Moines River and north of I-235. We are in the process of restoring 328 customers along Cottage Grove Avenue. We are also troubleshooting a circuit outage affecting 1,100 in this area.
Waukee – Repairs were completed this morning for the original storm damage affecting 315 customers. Crews are now focused on an additional piece of equipment that failed and caused a larger outage in the same area.
Des Moines – Multiple crews continue to work in the area surrounding the Des Moines River and north of I-235. We are in the process of restoring 328 customers along Cottage Grove Avenue. We are also troubleshooting a circuit outage affecting 1,100 in this area.
Waukee – Repairs were completed this morning for the original storm damage affecting 315 customers. Crews are now focused on an additional piece of equipment that failed and caused a larger outage in the same area.
If you see a downed line, assume it's energized and do not approach it. For electric emergencies, like downed power lines, please call us at 1-800-799-4443.
If your power is out, please report it online and continue to monitor our outage map for updates. You can also sign up for outage updates via email or text alerts by logging into your My Account profile.
Storm and Power Restoration Update
(6:30 a.m. 9/9/2026)
Our teams made good progress overnight. However, at times the persistent lightning required our crews to temporarily suspend repair work for safety and also caused new outages. Just over 4,000 customers remain affected. We expect most will be restored by noon and all by late afternoon. Over 34,000 customers have been affected since the start of the storm, and we have restored nearly 30,000 customers so far.
Des Moines – Approximately 2,800 of the remaining affected customers are in an area surrounding the Des Moines River and north of I-235. A large number of line crews and tree crews are repairing broken poles and wires down in the area, and clearing several trees and tree branches from our overhead equipment. Several crews worked throughout the night in this area, and additional crews will be signing on this morning to continue restoration efforts.
Waukee – An additional 315 customers remain affected, and we have a crew actively working on repairs. Lightning caused the outage of three substations affecting Waukee, Adel and Redfield areas. We expect all customers in this area will be restored between 8-9 am. This event increased the peak outage number from yesterday’s storm event to 24,300 customers in the Des Moines area. Our crews were able to isolate a downed transmission wire and restore the affected substations.
If you see a downed line, assume it's energized and do not approach it. For electric emergencies, like downed power lines, please call us at 1-800-799-4443.
If your power is out, please report it online and continue to monitor our outage map for updates. You can also sign up for outage updates via email or text alerts by logging into your My Account profile.
Storm and Power Restoration Update
(9:45 p.m. 9/8/2026)
Severe thunderstorms with high winds, torrential rain and significant lightning impacted the Des Moines area beginning at around 5:30 p.m. this evening. At the storm’s peak, over 19,500 customers experienced an outage.
Happening now
We have made very good progress restoring customers. As of 9 p.m., 10,895 customers remain without power. We currently have crews patrolling several large circuit outages that account for over 8,000 of the remaining customer outages. We expect to get several thousand customers restored by midnight as crews finish patrols and either isolate or repair damage to allow undamaged portions of circuits to be restored.
We have made very good progress restoring customers. As of 9 p.m., 10,895 customers remain without power. We currently have crews patrolling several large circuit outages that account for over 8,000 of the remaining customer outages. We expect to get several thousand customers restored by midnight as crews finish patrols and either isolate or repair damage to allow undamaged portions of circuits to be restored.
What’s next
If you are still experiencing an outage, please know that we have additional crews from other parts of Iowa travelling to assist. Our teams will work through the night. We expect the majority of affected customers to be restored by 6 a.m. Wednesday, and all customers by Wednesday afternoon.
If you are still experiencing an outage, please know that we have additional crews from other parts of Iowa travelling to assist. Our teams will work through the night. We expect the majority of affected customers to be restored by 6 a.m. Wednesday, and all customers by Wednesday afternoon.
If you see a downed line, assume it's energized and do not approach it. For electric emergencies, like downed power lines, please call us at 1-800-799-4443.
If your power is out, please report it online and continue to monitor our outage map for updates. You can also sign up for outage updates via email or text alerts by logging into your My Account profile.
Power Restoration FAQs
How do you prioritize the repair work?
A: When responding to large-scale outages, we start with circuits that serve the most customers, including major transmission lines and large circuits (which sustained extensive damage), then to medium and smaller-capacity lines, and finally individual service lines. Throughout the restoration process we prioritize critical facilities, such as hospitals, shelters and water treatment plants.
1 – Repair transmission lines: After making sure generating plants are back up, we repair lines that transmit power from generating plants to your local area. Each repair can often restore power to thousands of our customers.
2 – Repair substations: Substations, which convert high-voltage power from big transmission lines to smaller distribution lines used by individual customers and businesses, usually serve several thousand of our customers.
3 – Repair distribution lines: Feeder lines leading from substations serve several hundred to more than 1,000 of our customers.
4 – Repair tap lines: Tap lines extend from feeder lines into your individual neighborhood. They generally serve 20 to a few hundred of our customers.
5 – Repair individual connections: This is the most difficult and time-consuming task, as our crews restore power to individual customers. Things that may need extra attention here include downed lines, broken poles and trees on lines.
Why doesn't the outage map show my outage/neighborhood?
A: As more outages are reported the map groups them together, so you may not be able to zoom in on your specific location on the map. The "updates" or "storm info" tabs along the top should have specific details.
My neighbors down the block are back on - but not us! Why?
A: If your power is off but a neighbor’s power is on, you might be on separate circuits.
What do I do if there is meter or service line damage?
A: If the service is pulled away from the house or there is damage to the meter box, you may need an electrician to make repairs prior to having your power restored. Find out what equipment is the property owner's responsibility to repair.
I keep seeing trucks drive by or a crew member sitting in his/her vehicle - what are they doing?
A: They may be assessing damage or looking for "quick fixes" to get power turned back on, or possibly watching live wires to ensure people stay away.
Who removes tree debris?
A: When clearing damaged limbs or removing trees after a storm, we make sure the area is electrically safe, but property owners are responsible for removing the debris after major storms. We recommend contacting your city or municipality for assistance.
