Blue Ridge Electric Restoring Power Wednesday

For Immediate Release

Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Corporate Communications, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, Phone: (828) 758-2383; Pager: 1-800-471-1323; E-mail: Renee Whitener

Lenoir, North Carolina (March 21, 2001) – Linemen crews from Blue Ridge Electric Membership are currently working to restore power to nearly 3,300 members who lost power early this morning due to heavy snow that caused downed power lines primarily in Ashe and Watauga counties. Ashe County is experiencing 2,500 of the outages. Crews from neighboring cooperative Rutherford EMC and additional contract crews are assisting in the effort to restore power as quickly as possible. 

Blue Ridge Electric reminds the public to stay clear of downed power lines, which may still be energized and dangerous or even deadly. Anyone who sees a downed power line should immediately report it to the cooperative and try to keep others away from the downed line. 

To report an outage or a downed line, members may call the cooperative’s automated phone attendant called “PowerLine”, at 1-800-448-2383. Or, they may call their local Blue Ridge Electric office in: Watauga County: 246-8894; Caldwell County: 754-9071; Ashe County: 246-7138; and Alleghany County: 372-4646, and in Wilkes: 838-4655.

Blue Ridge Electric serves over 63,000 members in northwest North Carolina.

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Outage Tips

Blue Ridge Electric also offers the following tips to remember when outages are experienced:

	To remain safe and less inconvenienced during severe weather that could cause outages, keep the following supplies on hand: - Fresh batteries  - Battery operated radio for the latest weather and    restoration updates - Flashlights - Water for drinking and cooking. - Baby items such as diapers and formula - Nonperishable food items - Manual can opener - Wind-up or battery operated clock - Extra blankets, sleeping bags, quilts - Grill (along with extra charcoal and lighter, or     propane) - Thermos for keeping drinks and baby formula warm - Paper plates, cups and utensils
	- Guard against spoiled food by refraining from opening your refrigerator or freezer door if the power goes off.
	- Prevent a hazardous situation by making sure your range and oven are off if the power is interrupted. Never use the oven or range as a substitute heater.
	- If you use a portable generator, prevent a hazardous situation by making sure generators are safely connected. Back-feed into the utility system from improperly installed generators can harm or even kill a line technician working on restoring power. Improperly installed generators can also damage appliances. Be sure a qualified, licensed electrician installs a double-pole, double-throw transfer switch to connect the generator to the electrical system as required by the National Electrical Code. Contact a licensed electrician for more information.

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