REC crews are responding this afternoon to outages related to the ongoing ice storm, which is steadily causing damage to the Eastern Region of REC’s service territory.
As of 12:30 p.m., over 4,000 member-owners are without power. The ice continues to accumulate on tree limbs and power lines that were already weighed down by heavy wet snow, which blanketed the region on Thursday night and Friday.
The worst of the freezing rain is expected to continue through this evening, making travel treacherous for crews and contractors as they make their way to damage sites. REC is prepared for additional outages to occur as the storm continues to move through the area.
In anticipation of storm damage, REC re-positioned crews and contractors last night from its Blue Ridge office to assist with outages in the Eastern portion of the state. Linemen, contractors, vegetation management team members and all available field employees will continue working to make repairs and restore service as quickly and safely as possible.
“The safety of our employees and member-owners is REC’s top priority during this persistent and dangerous ice storm,” said Casey Hollins, director of communications and public relations. “Our crews, contractors and related field employees also continue to follow COVID-19 safety precautions.”
We urge our member-owners to stay safe as well. 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 and call 911 to report the downed power line. Finally, if you haven’t already, unplug appliances that may have been on when the power outage begin. Those appliances will come back on in the same mode as they were when power was lost.
