Outages Affecting Blue Ridge Service Area: 7:30 a.m. Update
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Public Relations, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383, Ext. 3213; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
Lenoir, North Carolina (February 1, 2008) – Power outages affecting members of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation have climbed early this morning to a total of 2,500 as of 7:30 a.m.
The outages are scattered in 73 locations throughout the cooperative’s service area but are primarily located in Watauga, Ashe, and Alleghany counties. A high percentage is also located along the Blue Ridge Parkway area. The outages resulted from icy weather affecting power lines and some higher winds in the mountain areas.
Blue Ridge Electric linemen have been working to restore scattered outages throughout the night, and additional line crews from sister cooperatives are being called for assistance in quickly restoring power.
Members can report outages by calling the cooperative’s automated Powerline at 1-800-448-2383, or by calling their local Blue Ridge Electric office. Members should have the account number, address, and telephone number of the affected location nearby in case it’s needed.
Members can also view a new feature on the cooperative’s web site to see if outages are occurring. By visiting www.BlueRidgeEMC.com and clicking on the Outage Mapping link in the left margin of the home page, members will be able to see a map showing current outages in specific communities and counties as well as the number of outages affecting that area and the amount of time the power has been disrupted. Members can also fine safety and outage preparation tips on the cooperative’s web site by clicking on the News tab, and then the Storm Room tab.
Blue Ridge Electric is a member-owned cooperative utility serving more than 70,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes, Avery, and Alexander counties.
