To report an outage, call
1-800-448-2383
2 p.m. Monday OUTAGE UPDATE: Crews Continue Working To Restore Final Outages
Blue Ridge Energy line technicians continue power restoration work Monday afternoon for 59 members without power as of 2 p.m.
Crews are working to repair by the end of today the remaining outages after a morning of working in treacherous conditions and difficult to reach locations across our service territory. Currently affected are 41 members in Ashe County, five in Wilkes County and 12 in Caldwell County, and one outage in Alleghany County that is unrelated to Winter Storm Diego.
Over a foot of snow fell in the cooperative’s service area, but the effects were most damaging in Caldwell and Wilkes counties where temperatures were slightly warmer, causing a heavier, wet snow that brought down trees and limbs. Additional overnight and morning snowfall worsened conditions and impacts in some of our mountain locations. Approximately 150 locations of the electric system were damaged from the storm. Line crews began power restoration after outages started at 2:47 am. The height of the outages was 2,269 members impacted at noon Sunday.
Crews faced the challenge of working their way into impassable areas, driving on dangerous road conditions with snow up to line truck bumpers and often walking long distances with snow above knee level to reach system damage causing the outages.
Blue Ridge Energy reminds members to report all outages by calling 1-800-448-2383 or by using the Blue Ridge Energy mobile app. Outage updates are available on the cooperative’s live outage map at www.BlueRidgeEnergy.com or on the mobile app.
The cooperative reminds the public to stay far away from downed power lines as they can still be energized and therefore dangerous, even deadly! Report downed lines by calling 1-800-451-5474. Only a trained line technician should ever go near a downed power line.
Blue Ridge Energy serves some 76,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, and Alleghany counties as well as parts of Avery, Alexander and Wilkes counties. Learn more at www.BlueRidgeEnergy.com<https://www.blueridgeenergy.com/> or on the cooperative’s social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.