Grain Elevator Collapse in WA Causes $1M in Damages

A grain elevator holding some 150,000 bushels of wheat collapsed in Edwall, WA early Wednesday morning, causing about $1 million in damages, several local news organizations reported.

The collapse of the Ritzville Warehouse Co. elevator at about 1 a.m. impacted a Avista Utilities service line supplying electricity to the elevator, resulting in a short in a transformer that created a power surge in Edwall and the surrounding area, a spokesperson from Avista told the Spokane Spokesman newspaper.

“Customers in Edwall and Reardan could’ve seen their lights flicker,” David Vowels of Avista told local CBS News affiliate KREM. “But their service wasn’t disrupted for too long.”

Though the cause of the collapse remains unclear, a Spokane, WA Fox News affiliate reported that police deputies said saturated ground conditions may have contributed to the incident or the structure’s metal might have been stressed.

“The metal is all collapsed on that silo,” said Jonathan Belgarde, an area resident who went to the site after the incident to take pictures, in the Spokesman article. “The auger on top, it’s all come down.”

Ritzville Warehouse spokesperson Stacey Hunt told KREM that damages are expected to total $1 million.

“The insurance company will be doing their own investigation about why the bin failed,” said Hunt.

No injuries were reported during the incident.

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