Over 1,000 power outages in the metro area affecting Minnesotans on Saturday

A large power outage in the metro area is affecting thousands of people on Saturday.

At 1:30 p.m., a power outage map from Xcel Energy showed over 1,000 outages in the metro area, with 85,000 people being affected. A large portion of outages is happening in Minnetonka, Jordan and throughout much of Minneapolis.

A representative from Xcel Energy said traffic lights may have been damaged and not working as a result of the outages. Xcel Energy added that when outages affect public safety, such as traffic lights going out, that is a top priority for the company.

Xcel Energy attributed the outages to strong winds that caused equipment damage. Crews are currently on site assessing damage and restoring power, the representative said.