(Sioux Center) — Power has now been restored to all parts of Sioux Center after an electrical substation blew up early Saturday morning, leaving half the town of 7,500 without electricity. If the power outage wasn’t enough problems for city officials to concern themselves, the northwest Iowa community also suffered a major water main break at the same time, leaving hundreds of homes and businesses without power and water. Sioux Center City Manager Paul Clousing says utility crews worked non-stop through the weekend to help restore power.
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Clousing says crews are currently pulling new wire and re-balancing the electrical load. The Sioux Center city manager isn’t sure if the water main break caused the electrical outage.
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Clousing says some electrical transformer boxes within close proximity of the substation were blown off their foundations when the substation short-circuited. The American Red Cross was called in to offer assistance to the community, and the Sioux Center High School gymnasium served as an emergency shelter. Clousing says the town will continue to use the portable substation that was brought in to help restore power. He predicts it may be months before the permanent electrical substation will be fully repaired and working.
