REC continues to make repairs and restore power that was knocked out as a result of today’s ice storm. As of 6:30 p.m., about 18,000 member-owners remained without power.
The outages are concentrated in REC’s Eastern Region, including the counties of Hanover, Louisa, Caroline, Spotsylvania, Goochland, and King and Queen, among others.
Outages that have not been restored by 11 p.m. will continue at least into Sunday, when crews will return to the field in full force to make additional repairs. REC’s crews and contractors will not work over night due to the icy and hazardous conditions that will continue to worsen as temperatures drop.
As always safety is our top priority. We will have crews on standby from 11 p.m. until early tomorrow morning to respond to emergency situations. In addition, six crews from South Carolina are traveling to Virginia, where they will join REC on Sunday to make repairs and restore service as quickly and safely as possible.
Today’s storm was especially impactful because it added substantial weight to trees and power lines that were already weighed down by heavy wet snow. To speed up the restoration process, REC shifted crews from its Western Region to eastern counties, which are seeing the most ice-related damage
Line crews, contractors, vegetation management teams and other support personnel have been hampered by the freezing rain that continued to fall throughout the day and dangerous road conditions. In addition, muddy rights of way make it difficult to reach many damage sites, and delays access to the areas where repairs must be made.
Crews also continue to follow the health and safety social distancing guidelines to protect against the spread of Covid-19.
“Ice presents such a unique challenge for our crews,” said Casey Hollins, director of communications and public relations. “They need to ensure their own safety under even more dangerous conditions, but they are highly skilled and will continue their efforts until service is restored to all member-owners.”
REC reminds member-owners to keep safety top of mind.
When used safely, generators can be a great resource during an outage. Remember to connect appliances or other devices directly to the generator with the appropriate-sized cords. If you connect it directly to your building’s wiring, a transfer, double-throw switch is required to separate your generator from the co-op’s system.
Also, if you see a downed power line, always assume it is energized and dangerous. Stay at least 10 feet away from the line and anything that might be in contact with it. Contact REC at 800-552-3904 or call 911. Finally, if you haven’t already, unplug appliances that may have been on when the power outage begin. Those appliance will come back on in the same mode as they were when power was lost.
