Power Restoration Efforts Underway for 2,600 Blue Ridge Electric Members; Blue Ridge Energies Delivering Fuels
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Corporate Communications, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383 ext. 3213; Pager:1-800-471-1323; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
Lenoir, North Carolina (11:30 a.m., December 5, 2002) – Line crews are restoring power to more than 2,600 members of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation without power as of mid-day today due to ice pulling down power lines. Falling trees and limbs are also damaging power lines and affecting power reliability.
Outages began occurring for Blue Ridge Electric members as early as 3:30 a.m. Southern Caldwell County has been hardest hit, with more than 1,600 members without power in the communities of Granite Falls, Hudson, Grace Chapel, and Dudley Shoals. Linemen are also restoring power to the Edgemont, Staircase Mountain, Patterson, and Charlesmont communities in Caldwell County.
In Watauga County, 344 members are being restored with power in the Hound Ears, Powder Horn, Darby, Foscoe and Blowing Rock areas.
In Ashe County, linemen are on the scene for 242 members affected in Glendale Springs, West Jefferson, Fleetwood, and Nathan’s Creek.
In Alleghany County, linemen are involved in power restoration efforts for 409 members in the Glade Valley, Cherry Lane, Brewer and Grady communities.
Linemen and support personnel have been preparing for the storm for several days, and drivers for the cooperative’s home heating fuels subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies, have also been gearing up for the storm.
Blue Ridge Electric members should report outages by calling the cooperative’s automated outage reporting system, PowerLine, at 1-800-448-2383, from a telephone at the affected residence or business. Members may also report outages at any local Blue Ridge office: (Lenoir: 754-9071; Boone: 264-8894; West Jefferson: 246-7138; and Sparta: 372-4646).
Blue Ridge Energies is delivering propane and other home heating fuels where roads are passable. Consumers needing home heating fuels service should contact call their local Blue Ridge Energies office: Lenoir: 758-4401; Boone: 264-3521, West Jefferson: 246-2421, and Hickory: 267-9944. Cylinders may be refilled at the Lenoir office located just off Blowing Rock Blvd. at 110 Nuway Circle.
Blue Ridge Electric serves some 64,000 consumers in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes and Alexander counties. Blue Ridge Energies provides propane, home heating fuel, kerosene and related appliances and services to Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Catawba and Alleghany counties.
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