Blue Ridge Electric Responding to System Wide Outages
For Immediate Release
Contact: Grey Scheer, Director of Community Relations, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 759-8994.
Lenoir: (April 16, 2007 10:00 AM) - Linemen and crews with Blue Ridge Electric are working to restore power to approximately 6,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe and Alleghany counties who were affected by the wind storm that began Sunday and continued throughout the night and into Monday.
Outages have been reported system wide from trees weakened from the heavy rains and ice in the mountains combined with high winds everywhere causing trees and limbs to fall on the power lines. Outages caused by broken poles are also being reported and require extra restoration time.
Blue Ridge Electric has all available crews working as well as contractor crews and right-of-way crews working throughout the day to restore electricity. Additional crews from neighboring cooperatives are arriving this afternoon to provide assistance and offer relief for crews working over 16 to 18 hours. Weather reports indicate that high winds will continue throughout today and outages are expected to continue.
For public safety, Blue Ridge Electric reminds all individuals to stay away from downed power lines since they can still be energized and therefore dangerous or even deadly. If a power line is laying on the ground, or if a tree falls on a line, STAY AWAY!! Additionally do not drive vehicles over downed power lines. Contact Blue Ridge Electric immediately if you see a downed power line.
Members that have not already reported their outage are encouraged to call the cooperative’s Powerline-its automated reporting system—at 1-800-448-2383 or contact their local office (Caldwell: 828-754-9071; Watauga: 828-264-9984; Ashe: 336-246-7138; Alleghany: 336-372-4646). Blue Ridge Electric is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Blue Ridge Electric is a member-owned electric cooperative serving some 70,000 members in northwest North Carolina, including, Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Alexander, Wilkes and Avery counties.
