Last Updated on October 14, 2024 10:17 am
Mountain Electric Cooperative Update- Hurricane Helene Restoration Efforts -October 14, 2024
We are still working the same schedule of 15 hour days and are making progress. We will continue this schedule through the weekend also. We are now on day 18 of our restoration efforts.
Status for Mtn City service area:
We currently have an estimated 350 members out of power. The number of outages will continue to slowly decrease due to building new lines and replacing broke poles that were damaged by the storm.
General Area Crews Working in Mountain City district area: Forge Creek (Crowder Rd), Neva/Butler (including Little Dry Run area, Harmon Rd. & Cherokee Cove), in Mountain City (Prison Camp Rd), Trade (crews are working in different areas), Poga (Dye Leaf & Black Branch Rd area), and Hwy 321 areas. Crews will continue rebuilding the line along Roan Creek Road today also.
General Area Tree Crews Working in Mountain City district area: Tree crews are working in the Hwy 167/Roan Creek Rd area, and Poga areas.
There are portions of Poga, Heaton Branch, and Walnut Mountain areas that are not accessible at this time. Roads and Electrical infrastructure have been washed out in several areas.
Status of Newland and Roan Mtn:
We currently have 1,600 members out of power in Newland and 125 members in Roan Mountain.
We ask that you have patience with us. We have several side roads and taps that will need an excavator or setting poles by hand to complete the job. This takes longer to do, but we are working as quickly as we can to reach you.
If your power is on and goes back off, there are many instances we have to temporarily turn the power back off to energize surrounding lines. Also, we are experiencing some outages because of people trying to help cut trees.
General area crews are working in Newland district
Crews are still working on taps in Old Beech Mtn, which is time consuming because of the extensive damage, Jonas Ridge, Ginger Cake, Minneapolis area, Tynecastle, Puckett Rd, John Erwin Rd, and Hickory Nut Gap,/Mtn Meadows. Underground crews are working in multiple communities served by underground utilities including Linville Ridge, Sugar Mtn, and Elk River Club.
We are meeting with NCDOT today to figure out a plan and path to build the lines and set poles on Elk River Rd in Elk Park. We have over 30 broke primary poles just on the main line down to the Upper Bottom bridge that’s washed out. Also, there are numerous secondary poles and taps destroyed.
Tree trimming crews are still working in Old Beech working ahead of the line crews to cut out the right of way and at Mill Pond in Banner Elk.
There are several places near creeks and sides of mountains where only an excavator can reach. These outages take much longer to repair. Please be patient, as we are trying to access all the hard-to-reach areas.
Service crews are still working in all areas, but the repairs they’re making only restores a few customers at a time.
General area crews are working in Roan Mtn district— Roan Mtn-Crews continue working in Buck Mtn, Roan Ladder Rd and Roanwood.
If you have a medical need (oxygen, dialysis or other medical conditions), please find a local emergency shelter. The electricity and the essential needs are being supplied at these shelters.
Please call your local office first and see if they can assist you before leaving me a message. I know there are several members without electricity still and can assure you all the MEC crews and contractors are working. These individuals have worked 15 hours (or more) daily for 18 days straight and will continue to do so.
I would also like to give a heartfelt “thank you” to all our communities in MEC service area. MEC appreciates the meals, food donations and prayers going up for us as we continue to restore power to all our members.
Rodney Metcalf, General Manager
Mountain Electric Cooperative
C: 423.727.1810
Fax: 423.727.1822
rmetcalf@mountainelectric.com
