My fellow members,
We are hoping to provide an update on our Hurricane Helene Restoration Effort. As I have previously reported, we have ramped up to 1,000 personnel, both construction and right of way, working on our system. We have 17 construction crews that will be joining us sometime before lunch today. We will allocate those resources to the most needed areas.
Allow me to provide a little more detailed update on our restoration efforts by county:
Colquitt, Tift & Worth Counties: We have restored service to all affected members who can receive service. Those who have not been restored need an electrician to come and make necessary repairs before their service can be restored.
Brooks County: Brooks County has roughly 150 meters without power. We are hoping they will be restored by tomorrow. If you have damage to your service mast or Weatherhead, please contact an electrician to make the necessary repairs before we can restore service.
Berrien County: As of this morning, we have approximately 2,100 meters without service. We have 25 construction crews working in Berrien County. We have 13 right-of-way crews working there as well. We hope to have all members eligible for service restored by midweek. If you have damage to your service mast or Weatherhead, please contact an electrician to make the necessary repairs before we can restore service.
Cook County: We currently have 500 meters without service. We have 19 construction crews and 9 right-of-way crews. We hope to have all members eligible for service restored by midweek. If you have damage to your service mast or Weatherhead, please contact an electrician to make the necessary repairs before we can restore service.
Lowndes County: As you know, Lowndes County suffered the worst devastation from Hurricane Helene. We currently have roughly 8,600 meters without service. Divide Lowndes County into thirds – upper, middle, and lower thirds. We have approximately 1,200 without service in the upper third, 4,000 in the middle third, and 3,400 in the lower third of the county. We have a total of 63 line crews in Lowndes County and 42 right-of-way crews there as well. 37 crews are in the lower third, and 26 in the top and middle third of the county. As crews finish up work in other areas, they are being sent to Lowndes County. We believe that we should be able to restore service to our Lowndes County members in approximately a week to 10 days. If you have damage to your service mast or Weatherhead, please contact an electrician to make the necessary repairs before we can restore service.
I have stated on many of these updates how much we need the prayers and support of our membership. I can tell you that our board of directors and all our employees recognize the support and recognize the prayers that are being made on our behalf. On behalf of your EMC, we are all truly grateful for you.
Sincerely,
Danny Nichols
President/CEO