A powerful line of thunderstorms moving across Rappahannock Electric Cooperative’s (REC) service territory brought heavy rain and damaging winds Friday afternoon, causing widespread power outages. Additional damage and outages are likely as more storms are expected to move eastward across REC’s service territory later this evening.
At 5:30 p.m., over 13,000 REC members were without power, with over 75 locations with storm-related damage had been reported across the Cooperative’s 22-county service territory. Louisa, Spotsylvania and Warren counties were among the hardest hit early on as the storms passed through.
REC crews are assessing damage and making repairs, with restoration work expected to continue overnight. Crews and support teams must identify the extent of the damage, address hazardous conditions and repair equipment serving the greatest number of members before moving to smaller, more localized outages.
“We know how disruptive a power outage can be, and we appreciate our members’ patience as our crews work through each affected area,” said Casey Hollins, managing director – communications and public relations. “Members should continue to prepare for changing conditions, particularly with additional storms possible this weekend.”
Strong winds and heavy rain can bring down trees and limbs, damage electrical equipment and create hazardous working conditions. 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 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.
