Recovery efforts continue across the Black Hills as crews work around the clock to repair damage from last week’s record‑breaking wind storm, which toppled trees, downed power lines, and left thousands without electricity. Utility companies say progress is steady, but about 2,000 customers remain without electricity after Black Hills Electric Cooperative and Black Hills Energy reported more than 20,000–25,000 customers were without power across western South Dakota.
Progress was made over the weekend as additional line crews—about 45 extra personnel—were brought in to accelerate repairs, joining local teams already working extended shifts.
Utility officials say the storm caused some of the worst infrastructure damage since the 2013’s Winter Storm Atlas, with miles of line needing replacement and extensive tree‑clearing required before repairs can begin.
Meanwhile, communities throughout the Black Hills continue to clear fallen trees, broken limbs, and debris scattered by the wind gusts that exceeded 100 mph in some areas.
Public works crews in Rapid City, Sturgis, and surrounding towns have been removing downed trees from roads and neighborhoods.
Residents are reporting significant property damage, including destroyed fences, damaged roofs, and displaced outdoor structures such as trampolines and sheds.
Local officials say cleanup will continue into next week, with some areas requiring heavy equipment to remove large fallen trees.
LATEST STATMENT FROM BLACK HILLS ENERGY:
RAPID CITY, SD, Dec. 22, 2025 (7:00 a.m.) – Black Hills Energy crews are continuing to focus restoration work in the hardest hit areas around Sheridan Lake, Hill City, Custer, Custer State Park, Kennedyville and Pactola. As of 7:00 a.m., approximately 685 customers remain without power. This is due primarily to extensive tree damage, broken poles and downed infrastructure. As crews gain access to these areas, they are also finding damage to customer-owned equipment, including service masts that need to be repaired before our crews can safely re-energize power to individual homes.
Important notes for customers
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Estimated restoration times can change based on actual conditions and assessments.
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If you receive a notification that your power has been restored and are still experiencing an outage, contact Black Hills Energy at 888-890-5554.
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Customers with power may experience intermittent outages as crews restore the system to normal operating conditions.
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Please report if you have had a new or secondary power outage. This is not uncommon in the days following a large storm. Strong winds can weaken trees or limbs that may later give way, impacting electric infrastructure like power lines.
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Your power may be impacted by other factors. Please check your home for damage to your service mast and also check your breakers and fuses.
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Black Hills Energy continues to provide updates on its Facebook page and at https://blackhillsenergy.com/extremewind-sd.
Important information about your home’s service mast
Severe winds can damage a home’s service mast – a mast is on the outside of the home’s roof or meter and looks like a metal tube or pipe. The mast feeds electricity to the home from overhead power lines. Homeowners are encouraged to look at the mast – but do not touch, because it’s energized – and if it appears to be loose, bent, or damaged, contact a certified electrician to schedule a repair. Black Hills Energy cannot restore power to your home until these damages are repaired. Additional information can be found at Electric storm safety | Black Hills Energy.
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