Last Updated on October 15, 2024 4:39 pm
Mountain Electric Cooperative Update- Hurricane Helene Restoration Efforts -October 15, 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 19 of our restoration efforts.
Status for Mtn City service area:
We currently have an estimated 300 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: Neva/Butler (including Little Dry Run area including Williams Ln, Harmon Rd. & Cherokee Cove, Moreland Dr.), Trade (crews are working in different areas), Poga (Bob’s Island area), and taps in Hwy 321 areas. Crews will continue rebuilding the line along Roan Creek Rd.
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 1,100 members out of power in Newland and 100 members in Roan Mountain.
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 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 have made it to the top of Old Beech and are still working side roads and taps as they travel up the mountain. Crews are in the Curtis Creek/Alton Palmer Rd area, still working in the outer areas of Banner Elk, Mill Pond double circuit to Banner Elk Sewer station, Minneapolis, Buck Hill, Sugar Mountain, Elk River, Tynecastle and Elk River Rd in Elk Park.
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.
General area crews are working in Roan Mtn district— Roan Mtn- Crews are in Roan Wood, Jack Elliot Rd, and excavators are on Conley Stevens Rd and Tiger Creek Rd.
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 19 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
