Last Updated on October 23, 2024 9:07 am
Mountain Electric Cooperative Update- Hurricane Helene Restoration -October 23, 2024
Status for Mtn City service area:
Mountain City members should have power unless you have an isolated outage they are making repairs to. If you still do not have power, please report it at 423-727-1800. We have an estimated 25 members without power.
General Area Crews Working in Mountain City district area: We will have crews working in various areas today including Shady valley, Trade, Doe Valley, Laurel, Mountain City and Poga areas.
Walnut Mountain/Heaton Branch areas power was restored yesterday.
Status of Newland:
We currently have 200 members out of power in Newland.
The outage restoration numbers are slowly decreasing due to each outage taking 3 hours or more to repair, to only get 1-2 members back on. It is a slow process, where most of the damage is severe and rough terrain.
We still have multiple service crews including outside contractors working in all areas on secondary lines and meter poles.
General area crews are working in Newland district
Crews are still in the following areas: Crews will hopefully finish on Hwy 321 today except for a couple outages to single houses requiring an excavator, Toe River Rd/Ivey Heights, Slippery Hill, and Little Elk Rd.
We are still cutting right-of-way so we can feed Calhoun Hollow Rd and Ivey Heights. This will take us a few days to build the line.
Service crews are still working in all areas.
At this point in restoration, the challenges we are facing are immense, but we are working towards the solutions to restore all power to everyone. Not only do we have individual services with broken poles etc. that are taking hours to repair; crews are also having to rebuild entire power line structures that serve several communities. When I say that the structures have been destroyed, I mean there are no power poles left to reattach lines to and in some instances not even recognizing where the poles used to be.
General area crews are working in Roan Mtn district— All Roan Mountain members power has been restored. If you still do not have power and you did not call to report it yesterday, 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. Electricity and 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 members without electricity still and can assure you all the MEC crews and contractors are working. These individuals have worked 27 days straight. Crews are working as quickly as possible and want your power restored also.
I also want to ask you please remember a lot of employees have damage to their own homes they have not been able to attend to because they are working hard for you, our members. Crews are working as quickly as possible and want your power restored also.
Rodney Metcalf, General Manager
Mountain Electric Cooperative
C: 423.727.1810
Fax: 423.727.1822
rmetcalf@mountainelectric.com
