A powerful line of thunderstorms moved through REC's entire service territory late this afternoon and into the evening, bringing intense rain and strong winds and causing widespread power outages.
At the height of the storm, more than 7,000 REC members were without power, with more than 120 separate locations of damage reported across the Cooperative’s 22-county service territory. Louisa, Madison and Caroline counties were among the hardest hit.
The widespread nature of the storm means REC crews are responding to numerous outage locations across the system. Crews and support teams are assessing damage, making repairs and working to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. Crews will work through the night and tomorrow morning, with some outages expected to continue into tomorrow afternoon as repairs and restoration efforts progress
Additional storms are possible throughout the week. As restoration efforts continue, REC remains prepared to respond to changing conditions and any additional outages that may occur. Crews and support teams will continue working to restore service while remaining ready to respond wherever they are needed.
“We recognize the impact an outage has on our members, especially when severe weather affects communities throughout our service territory,” said Casey Hollins, managing director – communications and public relations. “Our crews and support teams are responding across the system, and we are focused on restoring power as safely and quickly as conditions allow. We appreciate our members’ patience as that work continues.”
Strong winds and heavy rain can bring down trees and limbs, damage electrical equipment and create hazardous conditions for crews working in the field. Because the storm moved through REC’s entire service territory, damage and restoration needs are spread across multiple areas.
Safety remains REC’s top priority throughout the restoration process. 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.
