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Powerful windstorm causes widespread power outages across Navajo Nation

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Fallen power line on Navajo Nation following Tuesday nights wind storm.
Navajo Tribal Utility Authority
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Fallen power line on Navajo Nation following Tuesday nights wind storm.

Communities across the Navajo Nation and the surrounding region are without power after a storm bringing powerful winds moved through the Southwest.

60-mile-per hour winds blew through the Navajo Nation Tuesday, leaving thousands without electricity. 

Some schools moved to remote classes, but school superintendent Daniel Benavides in Shiprock, New Mexico says some students in his district can't access classes because they don’t have power at home.

"This is very unusual. Very unusual. We're asking parents to call their school sites to make sure that they let the school site know that they're having trouble with electricity because obviously if they don't have power, they can't get the internet," says Benavides.

The Navajo Tribal Utility Company is working on repairs, but had no estimate for when power would be restored.

UPDATE: As of Wednesday (12/14) night, some people are still left without power.

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Originally from Southern California, Lucas spent the last decade living in New York City, which is where he started his journalism career. He's been an audio journalism junkie for as long as he can remember, but really fell in love with reporting radio news at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where he received his master's degree.
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