Monsoon Outages? No Reason To Worry In Coachella Valley, Imperial Irrigation District Says

INDIO, CA — The prospect of heavy weather stemming from monsoon season in the eastern Coachella Valley doesn't mean residents should fear long-term power outages, utility officials said Friday, offering assurances that crews will be on top of service disruptions when they happen.

Thunderstorms struck the fringes of the Palo Verde Valley on Thursday, and the National Weather Service has been forecasting chances of inclement weather around the Coachella Valley, particularly in the vicinity of higher elevations. However, no significant storms have developed so far.

Imperial Irrigation District officials told City News Service that, either way, they're prepared.

"Our staff is trained and is making sure that we have enough equipment on hand to make any repairs after storms," IID spokesman Moises Cardenas said.

Along with Imperial County, the 6,500-square-mile district serves a large swath of eastern Riverside County, including the communities of Coachella, Indio, La Quinta, Thermal and Thousand Palms.

Cardenas said that IID has worked to ensure staff are properly trained to aid customers when needs arise.

"Because it's summer, and there's such a high electricity demand, all cities are somewhat at risk of an outage, but we're ready to deal with them whenever they happen," he said.

In case of outages, IID's troubleshooters are ready to respond quickly, according to Cardenas.

"We usually know about an outage before customers report it, so we're typically able to get a troubleshooter out within 60 minutes," he said. "Once they identify the problem, our teams can pack the needed equipment and head out for repairs as quickly and safely as possible."

Among the worst outages to hit the Coachella Valley in recent history stemmed from Tropical Storm Hilary in August 2023. Storm cells spawned by the dying hurricane wreaked havoc over a wide area, damaging electrical lines throughout Thermal and surrounding locations. Some properties experienced a loss of electrical service for weeks.

Cardenas pointed out that the IID's $3.34 billion Powering Our Community Together initiative has involved a series of upgrades and improvements that will continue into the future.

"The initiative is ... an investment for 270 projects over 15 years that aim to modernize the local electric infrastructure throughout the Imperial and Coachella valleys," the IID spokesman told CNS.

Improvements are planned for existing generating stations, energy and balance systems, substations, hydroelectric power capacity and battery electrical systems.

Cardenas said the ongoing goal of reliably delivering electricity to customers further entails modifying and replacing transformers, breakers and utility poles.

According to the NWS, the next significant chance for thunderstorms in the valley will be toward the latter half of next week, as monsoonal moisture creeps back into the region from the southeast, though it's too early to tell what impacts there may be, if any.

"We have been preparing our customer base through campaigns to remind them to update their contact information, so that they have information about outages, emergencies and what to do during an outage," Cardenas said.

The IID advised the following:

-- make an emergency kit and include working flashlights;

-- make sure phones and portable chargers are topped off;

-- ensure any needed medical devices have power backups;

-- keep refrigerators or freezers closed during prolonged outages;

-- stay away from downed power lines;

-- if a power line falls on a vehicle, get out immediately and call 911;

-- don't drive through flooded streets; and

-- report outages to IID at 1-800-303-7756.

More information about the IID, where to find the outage map and the Powering Our Community Together initiative is available at iid.com/.