What We Learned from the Sept. 2 Storm

The Sept. 2 storm tested our electric system, our crews, our communication tools and the patience of thousands of customers waiting for the lights to come back on. 
 
Wind gusts exceeding 70 mph brought down at may have looked like one enormous outage was actually 167 individual outage incidents, each requiring crews to locate the problem, assess the damage, make the area safe and complete repairs. 
 
How We Restore Power 
 
During widespread outages, RPU prioritizes restoration based on safety, system needs and the number of customers that can be restored. Crews address major system damage and critical facilities first, followed by repairs that restore the greatest number of customers before moving to smaller and individual outages. 
 
That is why restoration does not always move geographically. A home across the street may have power while yours does not because it may be served by different equipment or have a separate problem farther down the line. 
 
During the storm, we also partnered with the Rochester Police Department to use drone footage to assess difficult-to-access areas and help crews locate problems. Storm restoration is not as simple as flipping a switch. Behind every outage is a situation our crews must safely assess and resolve. 
 
Where We Need to Do Better 
 
Our people and electric system performed well under significant stress. Our customer information systems did not. 
 
The public outage map was temporarily unavailable, and we heard from customers who did not have enough information. That frustration was justified. We will fix the outage map and improve outage communication. 
 
We may not always be able to provide an exact restoration time while crews are assessing storm damage, but we can provide better information. Advanced Metering and a new outage management system will improve our visibility into outages, help crews respond and provide customers with clearer, more dependable information. 
 
I Was One of the Customers Waiting, Too 
 
The storm also showed us something worth remembering about our community: what “MN Kind” looks like when neighbors need one another. 
 
My own home remained without power into the evening. Like many of you, my family wondered how long it would last and what would happen to the food in our refrigerator and freezer. 
 
Then a neighbor with a solar-plus-storage system ran an extension cord across the lawn to help keep our deep freezer cold. 
 
No big production. Just a neighbor seeing another family who needed help and helping. 
 
Similar stories played out across Rochester as neighbors checked on one another and shared generators, extension cords, food and information. 
 
That is what “MN Kind” looked like on our street. 
 
A Word About Storm Tree Cleanup 
 
RPU’s role during a storm is to address electrical hazards and restore power. If a tree or limb is touching a power line, RPU leads the response to address the electrical hazard. 
 
After a storm, however, tree limbs and debris left on private property are generally the property owner’s responsibility to remove. Rochester Parks & Recreation may clear trees from streets and other public areas. If you are unsure who is responsible, call 311. 
 
Never approach a tree or branch touching or near a power line, and always assume a downed line is energized. See the Storm Tree Response guide below for more information. 

 
 
Stay Informed 
 
Sign up for outage alerts and report outages through RPU Connect. Customers can also visit rpu.org for outage information and the outage map, follow Rochester Public Utilities on Facebook during significant outages and follow @RPUOutages on X for updates. 
 
Moving Forward 
 
Waiting for power to return is frustrating. Waiting without good information is even harder. Sept. 2 showed us what worked and where we need to improve. Thank you for giving our crews room to work safely, looking out for one another and being patient when the information available was not as good as it needed to be. 
 
Our responsibility now is to learn from it. We will improve our outage map and communication and continue investing in the people, systems and technology that help Rochester recover better from the next storm.