Last Updated on October 11, 2024 4:44 pm
Lenoir, North Carolina (4:30 pm, Friday, October 11, 2024) – Line technicians, tree specialists and grading contractors will continue restoration Friday night and over the weekend until the final 1,140 members impacted by Hurricane Helene are restored with power.
As of 4:30 pm Friday, crews are working to restore 678 members in Watauga County, 425 in Ashe County, nine in Caldwell County and 28 in Wilkes County.
Line crews came from across the state and eastern United States to assist Blue Ridge Energy in restoring power to 63,000 members without electricity at the height of the outages. Crews have worked around the clock since the outages began in the late evening hours of September 26. A significant portion of the cooperative’s electric system across all the counties it serves was damaged or destroyed: substations flooded, hundreds of poles broken or taken down by mudslides or swift water, and miles of mangled power lines wrapped in debris, fallen trees and power poles.
The cooperative has dispersed teams of service crews responsible for repairing and energizing tap lines as well as construction crews responsible for replacing broken power poles.
“Crews are keeping their spirit and are determined to restore the remaining outages as quickly and safely possible this weekend,” said Renee Walker, director of public relations for Blue Ridge Energy.
Safety for workers and the public is paramount. The cooperative provides the following safety guidelines:
Downed Power Line Safety:
- Downed power lines can still be energized and therefore dangerous, or even deadly, so stay far away. Downed lines can be hidden underneath fallen trees, water and other affected structures so stay alert and use caution. Only a trained line technician should ever go near a downed power line. Report downed lines by calling 1-800-451-5474.
Protect Line Workers:
- Move over and slow down if you see line technicians or trucks working on roadsides.
- Be alert for flaggers and other traffic directions and indications of work under way.
- Don’t drive distracted.
Generator Safety:
- Never use a generator inside your home or garage. Install a carbon monoxide detector for added safety.
- Keep generators away from water.
- Always turn off a generator and let it cool down before refueling.
- The only safe way to connect a portable generator to your home’s wiring is to have a licensed electrical contractor install a transfer switch.
- Never connect a generator to your home’s electrical system. It can “back feed” and potentially harm or kill line technicians working on power lines.
To check outage status:
- Call 1-800-451-5474 to speak with a member service representative
- Link to live outage map: https://bremco.maps.sienatech.com/
- Refer to general restoration estimates at www.BlueRidgeEnergy.com
- Report new outages by calling 1-800-448-2383 or
- Use our Blue Ridge Energy mobile app or
- Text “OUT” to 70216 if your mobile number is on your account
Blue Ridge Energy serves some 80,000 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, X and Instagram.
