News : How the IAMU is helping restore power to Vinton area

The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU) mutual aid program was activated early Monday, July 11 after a line of severe storms blasted parts of east central Iowa. Wind gusts estimated by some sources to be as high as 100 miles per hour accompanied the storms.

Vinton was the hardest-hit community, with IAMU member Vinton Municipal Electric Utility dealing with many broken poles and downed power lines citywide. Vinton’s mayor has stated power could be out for up to a week in the city of more than 5,000 residents. Dan Goetz of Cedar Falls Utilities (CFU), Primary Electric Coordinator of IAMU’s Mutual Aid Region 4, reported dispatching numerous electric crews to several cities that received heavy damage: Six workers from CFU, two from Independence Light & Power, three from Indianola Municipal Utilities and four from Muscatine Power & Water to Vinton; four from CFU to Traer; and 12 from CFU and four from Waverly Light & Power to Dysart. Goetz reported as of the morning of July 12, mutual aid crews in Vinton planned on staying in the city to continue work for at least one more day; and that power in Traer was predicted to be fully restored July 12, with one mutual aid crew there possibly being reassigned to Vinton. For more information visit www.iamu.org