Suspected micro-burst knocks over power poles in Moore/Darlington area

Thunderstorms Monday evening in Butte and Custer counties caused several power poles to snap and fall.

The National Weather Service in Pocatello suspects a micro-burst from a thunderstorm caused the extreme winds.

A viewer reported to KIFI, the damage happened around 4:30 p.m. south of Darlington, near Antelope Creek. The viewer reported 5-6 power poles damaged from the winds.

The National Weather Service is reviewing the data from Monday. However, due to the mountainous terrain and distance from the Doppler radar site in Springfield, the radar never displayed a strong thunderstorm in the area.

The Butte County Emergency Manager, says he spoke with people in that area, estimating the winds were in excess of 70 mph.

The National Weather Service says they believe this was a microburst/downburst from the decaying thunderstorm. There is no evidence of a tornado at this time.

This area is no stranger to micro-bursts and tornadoes. On June 21, 2018, a tornado touched down near Darlington, causing minor residential damage.