Power Restoration Nearly Complete
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Corporate Communications, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383 ext. 3213; Pager:1-800-471-1323; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
Lenoir, North Carolina (Noon September 20, 2004) – Power restoration progress from the local effects of Hurricane Ivan was thought to be complete on Sunday but members reported a few new outages Monday morning.
Linemen with Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation continued to work Monday morning to restore power to a remaining sixty-three members.
At the height of the storm on Friday, more than 14,000 members were without power across the service area of Blue Ridge Electric. More than 6,000 of those outages were in Watauga County, where the most severe effects were experienced. Severe flooding hampered restoration efforts on Friday and into the weekend, which also brought high winds, resulting in numerous power lines torn down by fallen trees.
Members with power outages who are dependent upon electricity for life support or oxygen were encouraged to work with their local emergency management center for alternative boarding and assistance.
Members experiencing an outage are encouraged to call the cooperative’s automated Powerline at 1-800-448-2383 for the fastest way to report an outage.
