Last Updated on October 17, 2024 10:26 am
Mountain Electric Cooperative Update- Hurricane Helene Restoration Efforts -October 17, 2024
We are still working the same schedule of 15 hour days and are making progress. We are now on day 21 of our restoration efforts.
Status for Mtn City service area:
We currently have an estimated 200 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: BR Ward Ln, Sink Valley Rd, Clarence Potter Rd, Deer Run Rd, Hawkins Rd, Tom Bunton/Copperhead Rd, Hwy 167/Little Dry Rd, Sleepy Hollow Rd, Hwy 91, Culberson Ln, and Rocky Knob. Service crews are working in different areas of the county.
General Area Tree Crew Working: Tree service crews are working Fall Branch/Stage Rd areas
Status of Newland and Roan Mtn:
We currently have 750 members out of power in Newland. Most of our Roan Mountain system is mostly restored. If you still do not have power, please call the Roan Mountain office at 423-772-3521.
We have service crews working in all areas on secondary lines and meter poles.
We ask that you have patience with us. We have several side roads and taps that 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.
General area crews are working in Newland district
Crews are making progress in the Old Beech Mtn taps and we have made it to the Old Beech school. We have 3 crews working in that area today on taps off the 3 phase. We’ve had questions about what the 3 phase lines are. The 3 phase lines (main lines) provide power to all the single phase taps, and they all must be energized in order to power the single phase taps. The single phase taps power the lines away from the main line. There can be several reasons your tap may not be restored as quickly as your neighbor, if there are trees or broken poles that feed your lines for instance.
Other areas crews are working in today are: Elk River Falls Rd, Stamey Branch taps, Little Plumtree Creek, Lees McRae area, Linville Falls taps.
We’ll be sending crews to Roseboro tomorrow and expect it to take us 3-4 days to get it restored.
Also, Elk River Falls will take extended time to complete but have crews working diligently on it. Essentially, we are starting from scratch in this area; there is some places that have no evidence poles and electric lines were even installed in this area. There is no road, only the river now, so we are having to rebuild the whole line. Excavators will continue to work on Buckeye Rd on Old Beech today. As other crews restore power to other areas in the county, we will send those crews to help rebuild those lines. It is a slow process that just takes time.
General area crews are working in Roan Mtn district—Roan Mtn service crews are working on secondary and service work now. If you still do not have power, please call the Roan Mountain office at 423-772-3521.
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 20 days straight and will continue to do so.
Rodney Metcalf, General Manager
Mountain Electric Cooperative
C: 423.727.1810
Fax: 423.727.1822
rmetcalf@mountainelectric.com
