With crews out in force, electric cooperatives have restored power to more than 90,000 members following Hurricane Isaias. Approximately 40,000 members of North Carolina’s electric cooperatives are without electricity as of 3:30 p.m., down from a peak of nearly 130,000 members without service this morning.

Crews with Four County EMC work to restore power following Hurricane Isaias on August 4, 2020. Photo courtesy of Four County EMC.

Local crews, supported by reinforcements, will continue their work to safely restore power for all members. They are making progress in the hardest-hit areas by repairing lines and poles damaged by trees and debris. Counties experiencing the highest number of electric cooperative outages include:

• Brunswick County – 13,100
• Onslow County – 8,400
• Beaufort County – 4,300

Electric cooperative crews are practicing expanded, pandemic-related safety measures, like working in smaller groups with increased physical distancing, limited sharing of equipment and stringent cleaning and disinfection practices. These additional safety measures may increase outage response times, and cooperative members are encouraged to prepare for the possibility of extended outages.

Safety:

• If you are without power and are planning to use a portable generator, it is important to strictly follow manufacturer specifications and recommendations for that generator. Only use generators in well-ventilated outdoor areas; a garage does not count as a well-ventilated area.
• Use caution near work areas to keep line restoration crews safe and allow them to focus on bringing power back to the greatest number of people in the shortest amount of time.
• Please remember to never touch a downed power line; fallen lines can remain energized and pose serious dangers. Do not try to cut or clear limbs from power lines.

Real-time outage information from electric cooperatives across the state is available on a Statewide Outage Map.

North Carolina’s 26 electric cooperatives collectively serve approximately 2.5 million people in 93 of the state’s 100 counties. For more information, visit ncelectriccooperatives.com.