REC crews, contractors and mutual-aid workers from out-of-state cooperatives have restored service to more than 18,000 member-owners. As of 11 a.m., about 3,600 outages remain.
That includes more than 400 separate outage events. While some of those outages affect only a few residents, the repairs needed to restore each of the outages can sometimes take several hours. For instance, today crews will begin the lengthy process to replace over 30 broken poles, as well as making repairs to cross-arms, transformers, and fuses just to get power back on for a few member-owners at a time.
Although REC has doubled its field work force with contractors and mutual-aid crews, some outages could linger into at least Tuesday evening. The highest numbers of outages continue to be in Hanover and Louisa.
Due to the complex nature of the widespread damage, as crews make repairs it is possible that some outages could display online as restored. In those cases, member-owners should report their outage again. Check the status of your power outage and report power outages at myrec.coop/out.
Muddy conditions continue to present challenges and require specialized equipment such as track machines to reach damage sites. In some cases, linemen must carry equipment deep into rights of way and manually climb poles because trucks are unable to reach damage sites. Heavy operating equipment such as track machines is also being used during this restoration effort.
Additional crews arrived Sunday evening to supplement the growing army of line workers, tree crews and other field employees to make repairs and restore service. This will result in increased traffic of line construction and service vehicles along rural roads. Motorists are asked to be aware, slow down and move over if possible, and allow room for crews to work as safely as possible in dangerous conditions. More mutual-aid cooperatives and contractors will also arrive today to join the outage restoration team.
“Throughout the outage restoration process, safety remains REC’s top priority – for field employees and member-owners,” said Casey Hollins, director of communications and public relations. “Please continue to stay well clear of any downed power lines and follow all safety guidelines for the use of generators or other alternative sources of heat.”
