Last Updated on November 30, 2019 1:50 pm
Lenoir, North Carolina (November 27, 2019) – Blue Ridge Energy is on high alert and ready to respond should severe weather lead to power outages in the cooperative’s service area of Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Avery, Wilkes and Alexander counties over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Current forecasts indicate that the cooperative’s service area could be impacted by winds in excess of 60 mph, starting tonight. Strong winds and loose soil conditions from recent rains could lead to toppled trees from outside of right-of-way areas.
Blue Ridge Energy urges members to stay away from any downed power lines. Contact with downed lines is dangerous and potentially deadly. Report all downed lines immediately to Blue Ridge Energy at 1-800-451-5474.
If outages occur, report them over the Blue Ridge Energy mobile app or call: 1-800-448-2383. For outage status at any time, the cooperative’s live online outage map is available on the mobile app or at www.BlueRidgeEnergy.com.
Before any storm, it’s important to keep these items handy to stay safe and comfortable in the event of outages:
Flashlights
NOAA Weather Radio (you may also be able to sign up for notifications from your local emergency services or from weather services on your smart phone or table)
Extra batteries
Extra water for drinking and cooking
Nonperishable food items
First aid kit, including prescription medications
Be sure cell phones and other electronics are fully charged and have fully charged battery back-ups.
Blue Ridge Energy posts information during major outages on its social media channels: www.facebook.com/blueridgeenergy; www.instagram.com/blueridgeenergy and www.twitter.com/blueridgeemc.
Blue Ridge Energy serves some 76,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, and Alleghany counties as well as parts of Avery, Alexander and Wilkes counties. Learn more at www.BlueRidgeEnergy.com or on the cooperative’s social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
