Arizona Public Service Co. saw storms in the past week take out more than 400 power poles, well more than the state's largest utility replaces during an average monsoon season.

Storms that rolled through the region Saturday and Sunday produced rain and high winds that downed scores of power poles, prompting power outages across the region.

With several weeks to go in the official monsoon season, APS officials said they could be looking at more work in the field.

Along with traditional power poles, large transmission towers that transmit electricity from power plans to disribution points were felled during the storms.

At the height of the storms, 32,000 APS customers were without power. While most customers saw their power restored within hours, Eloy and Arizona City sustained the worst of the damage and approximately 7,000 customers experienced extended outages through Wednesday morning.

It wasn't just in the Valley that APS saw damage. A powerful storm Tuesday night blew through the Douglas area in southeastern Arizona toppling more than 70 power poles, and crews are working to restore the 330 customers impacted.

“We know it has been a challenging week for customers impacted by the severe storms, and we thank them for their patience, as our crews work safely around the clock to assess and repair the damage in order to get the lights back on,” said Tony Tewelis, Vice President of Transmission & Distribution for APS.

• Create an emergency supply kit in case of a prolonged outage. The pack should contain non-perishable food items, water, a first-aid kit, a battery-operated radio, flashlights, extra batteries, important phone numbers, portable phone charger and any necessary medication.
• If you have an automatic garage door, check the instructions to learn how to open it manually.
• Ensure your contact information with APS is up to date. Sign in to your aps.com account or call the APS Customer Care Center at (602) 371-7171 to update your email, text and phone numbers so APS can reach you in the event of an outage.
• Secure outdoor objects that could blow away or cause damage. Objects found in a typical backyard -- such as umbrellas, kiddie pools and even trampolines -- can be swept up by high monsoon winds and end up in power lines, causing outages.

After a storm hits, be safe around electricity. Always assume electrical equipment is energized and if you see a downed power line, stay at least 100 feet away, call 911 and then call APS.

If you use life-support medical equipment that requires electricity, call 602-371-7171 to register for our Medical Preparedness Program. This alerts us of your needs in the event of a disruption in service. For more safety tips you can use year-round, visit aps.com/safety.