Steady Progress By North Carolina's Electric Cooperatives Brings Outages To 140,000

RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- North Carolina's electric cooperatives continue to make steady progress restoring power in areas hard hit by Hurricane Florence's wind, rain and subsequent flooding.

Outages and restoration:
As of 4 p.m. Monday, North Carolina's electric cooperatives report approximately 140,000 power outages, down from a peak of 326,000 on Saturday. Since Hurricane Florence hit, co-op crews have restored power to approximately 186,000 members. Local cooperative crews are joined by contractors, as well as hundreds of support crews from in state, as well as places as far away as Minnesota and throughout the southeast –  a display of the resiliency of the electric cooperative network. In areas where restoration points are inaccessible due to flooding or damaged roadways, or where damage to power poles and power lines is severe, the restoration effort may last several more days. Work will continue until powered is restored to all.

Real-time outage numbers and locations for co-ops throughout North Carolina are available online.

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 areas; a garage does not count as a well-ventilated area.
• Never connect a 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.

Thank you to our members:
We thank cooperative members for their patience and many kind words as crews and co-op staff have worked tirelessly and diligently to rebuild after the storm and historic flooding. Restoring power quickly and safely is the electric cooperatives' priority. We will continue working to bring the lights back on for all members.

About North Carolina's electric cooperatives:
North Carolina's 26 electric cooperatives collectively serve approximately 2.5 million people in 93 of the state's 100 counties. Six electric cooperatives serve 16 North Carolina beaches, and many more serve hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in other parts of eastern North Carolina.

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SOURCE North Carolina's Electric Cooperatives