As of this afternoon, REC has restored all outages related to the winter storm that roared through Virginia on Wednesday.
REC’s line crews, vegetation management team and contractors worked nonstop for two and a half days to repair downed power lines, set over 40 new poles and restored service to the more than 21,000 members who lost power at the peak of the storm. Restoration efforts were possible due to the assistance from 32 crews and 130 mutual aid workers from neighboring electric co-ops.
Winter Storm Gail left crews to battle heavy ice in the rights of way as well as saturated soil, which made it impossible to bring trucks and equipment into many damage sites. Through their restoration efforts, crews continued to follow the health and safety social distancing guidelines to protect against the spread of Covid-19.
Among the cooperatives providing mutual aid were Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative, Prince George Electric Cooperative, Northern Neck Electric Cooperative, Choptank Electric Cooperative and BARC Electric Cooperative, in addition to C.W. Wright and Lee Electric contractors.
“We sincerely thank all of our member-owners who lost power for their patience and understanding as we worked to restore their power,” said Casey Hollins, director of public relations and communications. “The heavy ice buildup from this storm created unique challenges for our line workers, and we are grateful for the efforts of all of the crews involved.”
