4,000 still without power in wake of storms

Xcel expects to have power restored for most customers by tonight.

Last update: June 15, 2008 - 11:00 PM

Close to 1,400 Xcel customers in the metro area were still without power Sunday night, down from nearly 4,000 at 6 p.m.

The majority of the power failures were in Minnetonka, Edina, Plymouth and Maple Grove, said Xcel Energy spokesman Tom Hoen. Scattered failures also were reported in St. Louis Park, Golden Valley and Robbinsdale. Some homes on the west side of Minneapolis also were affected.

Hoen expects most customers to have their power restored by midnight tonight. The sheer number of power failures, due to downed lines from the storms, slowed the recovery, he said.

"We have everybody available out there working," Hoen said.

The blackouts started shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday, when storms tore through the metro. At their peak, the power failures left 56,000 customers without electricity. That number was reduced to about 8,000 by Sunday morning, and just under 1,400 Sunday night.

Strong winds and falling tree limbs were the culprits, Hoen said.

CHAO XIONG

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