September 27th will be etched into the memory of North Carolinians as the day Tropical Storm Helene unleashed catastrophic flooding and devastation across the western part of the state. 

Road washed out by landslide from Helene (Photo courtesy of Pee Dee Electric)

Helene’s force caused water levels to surge to historic heights—up to 30 feet in some areas—washing away homes, roads and even electric infrastructure. The storm’s high winds toppled trees into power lines and onto homes.  

And the electric cooperatives faced destruction beyond anything they had ever experienced. More than 236,000 members were in the dark.  

“It is hard to describe the extent of the damage to our system,” said Dirk Burleson, general manager of Rutherford EMC. “In many cases, it wasn’t just a repair effort, but a rebuild. Crews weren’t just dealing with limbs on lines—they were dealing with entire trees that had taken down spans of lines and snapped poles. Extreme flooding devastated our communities, washing out electrical systems that had stood for decades and damaged many of our members’ homes.” 

With the rugged mountain terrain complicating the task of rebuilding thousands of miles of infrastructure, North Carolina’s co-ops knew they weren’t alone in their effort. 

Support from near and far 

Crew from Central EMC prepares to head west to help with restoration (Photo courtesy of Central EMC)

Co-ops across North Carolina immediately jumped into action, mobilizing crews and supplies to support their western counterparts. 

As local crews worked tirelessly to restore power, additional reinforcements began arriving from around the country. More than 500 lineworkers from over 30 electric cooperatives in 11 states, along with contract crews, tree trimmers, and heavy equipment operators, joined the mission to help turn the lights back on. 

Many of these crews stayed for days, and even weeks at a time, to provide assistance.  

“This was a collaborative effort from the entire network of North Carolina’s electric cooperatives and beyond,” said Jason Caudle, COO of Tarheel Electric Membership Association, an organization that supplies materials and manages crew movement for North Carolina’s electric cooperatives. “The willingness of crews to travel from all over to help the co-ops was amazing and speaks to the commitment that these individuals make every day to powering the lives of millions.” 

Commitment to serving members 

Helene was unlike any storm North Carolina had seen before, causing unprecedented damage and conditions in the western part of the state. Crews battled historic flooding, landslides and widespread destruction during their restoration efforts.  

Despite the challenges, they persevered. 

“We will remember the impact Helene had on western North Carolina forever,” said Nelle Hotchkiss, senior vice president and COO of North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives. “But we will also remember it as a time when cooperatives came together, side-by-side, in a shared mission to get the lights back on for members. We are stronger together.”