Fredericksburg, Va. - Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) crews, contractors and mutual-aid workers have restored service to roughly 75% of member owners who lost power in Winter Storm Frida.
At the peak of the storm, more than 98,000 members had lost power. As of this morning, about 26,000 remained without service.
Crews have so far discovered more than 215 broken poles, and they continue to find additional ones at damage sites. REC continues to utilize helicopters to document damage sites so crews can more quickly make the repairs needed to restore service. On average, it takes a crew up to six hours to replace a pole in ideal weather conditions—in winter weather conditions, it can take longer.
“With the help of several hundred mutual-aid crews from across the country, REC crews are steadily making solid progress in bringing power to our member-owners,” said Casey Hollins, Managing Director – Communications and Public Relations.
“The entire REC team appreciates members’ patience as restoration efforts continue. Restoration work is challenging and takes time, even in the best weather conditions. The safety of our crews is our top priority, and we appreciate the kind words of support from our members,” continued Hollins.
Outage Restoration Details
REC has received member feedback about making changes to its online outage map. REC incorporated these changes and made upgrades to the online outage map on myrec.coop so members can more easily identify which outage event is affecting their location. They can use the magnifying glass icon to search their address to find the outage location, which will appear in a polygon. Then click on the icon in the polygon for the latest information on the outage.
REC is also providing regular updates on work locations and providing county-specific updates throughout the day on social media and on the website. REC President and CEO John Hewa is also providing video addresses to the membership to provide a situational update and answer frequently asked questions. Mr. Hewa’s videos are posted every night on the REC Facebook page and myrec.coop throughout the restoration effort.
“We know member-owners want as much information as possible on their specific location,” Hollins said, “and we are working to provide those important details through multiple channels.”
