High Winds Damage Power Lines: Outage Restoration Continuing This Morning: 6 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 11, 2008) - Extremely high winds all across northwest North Carolina damaged power lines, creating power outages Sunday for nearly 7,000 members of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation.

Crews worked through the night and continue working this morning to restore all power. Currently remaining without power are: 965 members in Ashe County; 65 members in Watauga County; 39 members in Wilkes County; 29 members in Alleghany County; and seven members in Caldwell County.

Members should report all power outages by calling the cooperative's automated Powerline at 1-800-448-2383. 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 on the bottom left hand side of the screen, members can see a map showing any current outages in specific communities and counties as well as the number of outages affecting that area.

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. For more safety and preparation tips, visit www.BlueRidgeEMC.com.