Electric cooperative crews are responding in force to restore power for co-op members impacted by Hurricane Dorian. The cooperatives are reporting 46,000 outages at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, down from a peak of 94,000.

An army of line personnel is deployed in impacted areas to clear debris and make system repairs. Crews made great strides in eastern and coastal North Carolina throughout the day as the storm moved out to sea and weather conditions improved. In the hardest-hit areas, work remains to be done, and flooding in areas of the Outer Banks and low-lying central coast will impede progress.

“We thank cooperative members for their patience as crews work through challenging conditions, and in some locations, wait for floodwaters to recede,” said Mike Burnette, senior vice president of power supply and chief operating officer of North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives.

A lineman from Four County EMC, based in Burgaw, works to bring power back to members. 

Local cooperative crews are supported by crews from fellow cooperatives in North Carolina and throughout the nation. Contractors have also joined these co-op crews, and together, these dedicated and determined power restoration personnel will work as quickly and safely as possible to restore power to cooperative members.

Safety:

• Help keep our crews safe. If you see utility crews working on the side of the road, slow down and drive carefully.
• Never wade into or drive through flood water.
• Only use generators and charcoal grills in well-ventilated outdoor areas; a garage does not count as a well-ventilated area.
• Never connect a portable generator directly to a home’s wiring. Instead, use an extension cord to plug lights and appliances into the generator.
• Never touch a downed power line, and remember that sometimes debris can cover fallen lines, making them difficult to spot.

Real-time statewide outage numbers and locations are available online. Co-op members should also report outages to their electric cooperative.

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.