ST. GEORGE — A sweeping power outage in the southwestern corner of Utah left thousands without electricity Thursday evening, prompting utilities to institute staged restorations and water managers to urge immediate conservation as critical infrastructure was affected.
Scope and timeline
The outage began at about 5:15 p.m., officials said. At approximately 6 p.m., Rocky Mountain Power reported 14,480 customers without service in the St. George area. The interruption affected the county broadly, with only a few small pockets remaining energized.
St. George City public information officer David Cordero said the problem stemmed from PacificCorp and impacted other providers that rely on the same systems, producing what officials described as a countywide disturbance.
Restoration approach and customer guidance
Rocky Mountain Power told customers that initial assessments allowed crews to begin bringing service back in a controlled sequence to protect the electric system. Restorations were done in stages so power could be returned safely and in an orderly manner.
"Initial assessments indicate it is safe to begin restoring power."
Rocky Mountain Power advised that it may take up to a week to determine the cause of the outage, and directed customers to report outages or get updates by texting OUT to 759677 or calling 1-888-221-7070.
Local utilities and rolling service
In areas served by Dixie Power, the cooperative said it had access to about 25% of its normal electric load on Thursday night. To manage the limited capacity and distribute electricity as evenly as possible, the cooperative implemented rolling blackouts.
Dixie Power explained that sections receiving power would generally remain energized for roughly 60 minutes before service rotated to another area, and warned that those intervals were estimates and could vary.
Hurricane Power reported that service had been returned to customers in Hurricane as of 9:40 p.m. on Thursday and asked any remaining customers experiencing issues to call 435-668-5612. In a social media post thanking the community, Hurricane Power wrote:
"Thank you for your assistance as we stabilized our service area."
Water systems and immediate conservation requests
Because the outage affected pumping and distribution systems, Dammeron Valley Water Works issued an immediate plea for water conservation. Although tanks were reported full at the time, the agency asked residents to limit use to essential needs to ensure adequate supply for households and emergency fire suppression until power and pumping returned to normal.
- Treat any outage as potentially impacting water pressure and availability.
- Conserve water for drinking, sanitation and critical uses.
- Follow local utility social channels for up-to-date restoration information.
What residents should do now
Officials urged residents to stay informed through utility updates, refrain from nonemergency calls to 911 regarding the outage, and exercise caution at intersections where traffic signals are out. Drivers should treat dark signals as four-way stops.
Rocky Mountain Power customers experiencing outages were asked to use the text or phone reporting options listed above. Hurricane Power customers still without service were instructed to call the local number provided.
| Provider | Customers reported out | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mountain Power | 14,480 | Outage began ~5:15 p.m.; staged restorations |
| Dixie Power | Not specified (co-op reported 25% normal load) | Rolling blackouts; ~60-minute rotations estimated |
| Hurricane Power | Some customers restored by 9:40 p.m. | Call 435-668-5612 for lingering issues |
Next steps and investigation
Utility officials indicated that while crews had begun restoration work, a full investigation into the outage's cause could take up to a week. In the meantime, staged power returns and coordinated conservation efforts aim to limit secondary impacts on water and emergency services.
Residents in the St. George area should monitor official channels for updates, heed conservation requests from water providers, and avoid placing nonemergency calls to 911 so dispatchers can focus on urgent situations.
Updates will appear on utility websites and social media as crews continue restoration efforts into the night and the coming days.
