Power Restoration Work Continues

Watauga and Ashe Counties Suffer Major Damage

Lenoir, North Carolina (December 26, 2009-Noon Update) - Additional crews are assisting Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation line technicians working to restore power to major portions of Watauga County and parts of Ashe County heavily damaged by fallen trees and downed power lines from the Christmas Day ice storm. Watauga County has 15,000 without power today while Ashe County has 6,000 awaiting restoration.

Some parts of these counties have been much more heavily damaged than others. Therefore, outages may be occurring in some areas that do not have apparent damage but whose electricity is serviced by power lines out of an area that has received more extensive damage from fallen trees and ice. The cooperative is working to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.

Due to the extent of damage, the cooperative is cautioning that some outages may continue throughout Sunday.

Some 260 line technicians are in the field cutting their way through trees blocking roads and access to outage locations after one of the worst ice storms in recent history for the High Country. Ice also tore down power lines, leaving broken poles in more than 50 locations which linemen are also working to replace.

Assisting Blue Ridge Electric are neighboring cooperatives Piedmont, EnergyUnited, Union Power, Pee Dee, Lumbee River, and Central EMC, as well as crews from Pike Corporation, Carter Utility Services and Asplundh Tree Expert Company.

Members with special medical or life support needs should contact their local emergency management office for assistance if needed. Watauga County Emergency Management has opened two shelters: Valle Crucis Conference Center and Deep Gap Volunteer Fire Department. For medical or other emergency situations, call 911.

Members should report outages by calling the cooperative's automated Powerline at 1-800-448-2383. Call volume is heavy so the cooperative asks that members be patient when calling.

Members can view outage updates at any time by visiting www.BlueRidgeEMC.com and clicking on the "outage map" link located on the lower left hand side of the screen.

The cooperative also reminds the public that downed power lines can still be energized and should be avoided to prevent an injury. Report downed power lines by calling Blue Ridge Electric at 1-800-451-5474.

Outage updates and other information is also available on Blue Ridge Electric's Facebook page.

Blue Ridge Electric serves some 73,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes, Avery and Alexander counties.