Crews, contractors and support teams worked through the night to restore power to more than 95% of members affected after damaging thunderstorms swept across the service territory of Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) Monday afternoon and evening.
More than 6,500 members had their power restored overnight as crews responded to widespread damage across the Cooperative’s 22-county service territory. During the overnight restoration effort, REC crews and contractors replaced 13 broken utility poles in addition to clearing trees and limbs and repairing damaged electrical equipment.
At the height of Monday’s storms, more than 7,000 REC members were without power and more than 120 separate damage locations had been reported. Louisa, Madison and Caroline counties were among the areas hardest hit.
“Our teams know these outages are more than numbers on a map,” said Casey Hollins, Managing Director – Communications and Public Relations. “Every outage represents a home, family or business waiting for the power they depend on. Crews, contractors and support personnel are working around the clock, confronting challenging conditions and making every restoration decision with safety and urgency. We will continue working until every member’s power is restored.”
Crews continued restoration work Tuesday morning at the remaining outage locations. As restoration reaches its final stages, some repairs can take additional time because crews are often addressing smaller, scattered outages involving significant damage, downed trees and damaged equipment.
REC continues to monitor weather conditions, with additional thunderstorms possible this week. Crews and support teams remain prepared to respond if changing conditions result in additional outages.
Safety remains REC’s top priority. Members should stay away from downed power lines and always assume any downed line is energized. Never attempt to move a tree, limb or other debris that is touching is or near a power line.
Members can report an outage and check their outage status through MyREC SmartHub or by calling 800-552-3904. REC’s Outage Map also provides a current look at outages across the service territory and restoration progress.
