Blue Ridge Electric Making Power Restoration Progress
For Immediate Release
Contact: Grey Scheer, Director of Community Relations, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 759-8994.
Lenoir: (April 16, 2007 8:00 PM) - Blue Ridge Electric linemen, contract crews, and crews from sister cooperatives are making progress in restoring power to approximately 4,000 Blue Ridge Electric members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany and Wilkes counties who are still without power this evening. Outages have occurred throughout the day and are additional outages are still expected overnight.
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. In storms such as this one, with sustained winds and gusts approaching hurricane-force, power outages are often widespread and somewhat erratic. You may have power even if someone down the street is experiencing an outage. Additionally, because the winds are expected to continue into the evening, further outages may occur in areas that have already been restored once today.
Blue Ridge Electric has had 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 arrived this afternoon to provide assistance and offer relief for crews working in excess of 18 to 20 hours. Seven crew members from a Georgia cooperative and an additional twelve contractors are expected by morning to help with a full day of restoration on Tuesday. Blue Ridge Electric will continue restoration efforts until all outages are restored. Some members may return home from work and discover power outages. Members who have not already notified Blue Ridge Electric are encouraged to call our Powerline number or their local Blue Ridge Electric number listed below. It is not necessary to report an outage more than one time.
Blue Ridge Electric strives to restore electricity to as many members as possible with each restoration effort. It is possible that outages with smaller number of members affected will be restored after outages with a larger number of affected members. Members with special needs that are currently still without powers are encouraged to seek shelter elsewhere for the night if possible. Blue Ridge Electric and contract crews will work throughout the night but additional outages are still expected
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 or 911 immediately if you see a downed power line. Fortunately, there has been no reports of injury as a result of downed power lines.
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: 828-264-8894; Ashe: 336-246-7138; Alleghany: 336-372-4646; Wilkes: 336-838-4655). 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.
As of 8PM, Monday, April 16, 2007 a total of 4,066 members are without electricity on the Blue Ridge Electric system. County outage totals as follows:
Caldwell: 2,646
Watauga: 979
Ashe: 359
Alleghany: 82
The next media update will be 5 AM on Tuesday.
