Darkness in Death Valley: Power restored after 65-hour park-wide outage

DEATH VALLEY, Calif. – A 65-hour power outage in Death Valley National Park ended at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 26. The power outage impacted park visitors and 450 residents during the busy Christmas weekend.

The National Park Service’s (NPS) greatest worry was water supply. The NPS was not able to pump water wells or power water treatment plans on the park’s two largest water systems. Park staff were trucking water to replenish the tank at Stovepipe Wells Resort, which had fallen below critical levels needed for fire suppression. Furnace Creek water system was about one day away from falling below water tank levels needed for fire suppression.

The power outage impacted drivers of both electric and fuel-powered vehicles. At least eight electric vehicles were towed out of the park after running out of electricity. The gas pumps at Stovepipe Wells Resort did not function without electricity. The Oasis at Death Valley was able to power their fuel pumps with a generator, but ultimately ran out of fuel due to high demand.

Hotel guests had no power or heat in their rooms. Hotel and NPS employees returned to dark houses after busy workdays. Restaurants were serving very limited food options. There was no cell signal, meaning residents and travelers were not able to call loved ones during the holiday, or call for help in case of an emergency.

A portable generator powered the water treatment plant at one of the park’s smaller water systems during the power outage. This water system is gravity-fed from a spring, unlike two larger systems that require a well pump.