If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911.
NorthWestern Emergency
Montana
888-467-2669
South Dakota/Nebraska
800-245-6977
REPORT AN OUTAGE
Report a Street/Yard Light Problem
To Use: Click on an outage map icon for outage details and to request updates regarding the outage.
Reset Map
Outage Map Legend
# of customers affected
Disclaimer:
Disclaimer: During large outages or severe weather conditions the data available may be limited, delayed, or not totally accurate. Outage data is provided without any guarantee or warranty of any kind, expressed or implied.
This map indicates areas of current planned and unplanned outages and the estimated time of restoration. Please be aware that field crews provide the estimated restoration time and/or dispatchers based upon what is known about the situation. Our workers strive to restore power to your home as quickly and as safely as possible but occasionally crews encounter unforeseen circ*mstances when working on repairs. Therefore, sometimes power may be restored sooner or later than the estimated time noted in the map.
If you have been out of power for more than ten minutes and it is not appearing on the map, please call one of the numbers at the top of the page or log into My Energy Account and use our online form to report an outage. And remember, always treat a downed or low-hanging line as live.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about what to expect during a power outage.
My power is out and I'm worried the food in my fridge or freezer will go bad. What should I do?
Do not open freezers or refrigerators more than necessary. A refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.
You can fill empty space in your freezer with perishable items from your refrigerator, which will help keep these items fresh and help your freezer keep it's temperature. You can also fill your freezer with jugs of water or bags of ice.
If the power doesn't come back on after four hours, you may want to consider buying ice and filling a cooler. Move perishable items from your fridge to the cooler. Use a thermometer to make sure the cooler stays below 40 degrees. Add ice as needed.
What should I do if I see a downed power line?
Strong winds, ice and heavy snow can lead to downedpower lines. If you see a downed or damaged powerline, keep your distance and call 911 immediately.
Never touch a power line or any object, including trees,that is in contact with a line. Remember:
- Keep people, equipment and objects at least 30 feetaway from power lines.
- Never attempt to remove a fallen tree or branch froma power line. You could be seriously injured or killed.
- If a tree or branch does come in contact with a powerline, keep yourself and others away from the tree andcall 911 and NorthWestern Energy immediately.
What causes power outages?
Outages occur for manyreasons. Here are the most common causes ofunplanned outages:
- System equipment, such as service lines, undergroundconductor, transformers and insulators.
- Birds and squirrels.
- Debris on the pole or in the line.
- Weather, such as snow, thunderstorms or extremetemperatures.
How long does it take to restore power?
This canvary greatly depending on the cause of an outage.Sometimes restoring power is as simple as removing a branch that has fallen on a line. Other times, it might require replacing a pole that was hit by a vehicle or blown over in a storm. Sometimes we can switch customers to a different circuit while we make repairs, greatly reducing outage time. If a major storm knocks down numerous poles and takes out several lines, an outage can last hours or even days.
Our top priority is always the safety of our crews and our customers. While restoring power quickly is our goal, our crews take the time required to make repairs safely.
I don’t have power, but my neighbor does. Why?
Your neighbor’s home may be fed by a different service ordistribution line. It’s also possible the cause of the outage is
in your home. Be sure to check your fuses or breaker box.
Learn more about what to do during an outage.
What should I do if my power goes out?
Check fusesor circuit breakers to rule out problems with electricityinside your home. If there’s not an issue with your fuses orbreakers, report the outage to NorthWestern Energy. Youcan report outages onlineor by calling:
- 888-467-2669 in Montana or
- 800-245-6977 in South Dakota/Nebraska
You can find up-to-date outage information on our onlineoutage map and on ourFacebook page.
Learn more
