Line Crews Restore Power Following Hurricane Helene

On Tuesday, October 1, nine of DEC's finest packed up their gear and began the long drive to North Carolina to help our friends at Blue Ridge Energy respond to damage caused by Hurricane Helene. Upon arrival, our team — one of many who answered the call for mutual aid assistance from several nearby states — was faced with the devastating aftermath of the storm. Due to severe damage, roughly 6,800 miles of Blue Ridge's 8,500-mile system (about 80 percent) was impacted. By Monday, October 7, crews had made significant strides in restoring members' power, with only 8,917 members still without electricity at that time. While many had regained their electric service, Blue Ridge Energy said that several areas hit the heaviest by the storm would continue to be without service longer due to the nature of the damage they experienced, as well as continued accessibility challenges crews faced in their restoration efforts. At DEC, our team is committed to keeping the lights on, and that commitment is only strengthened when we are called to help those in need, such as our neighbors in North Carolina. The Co-op would like to thank all our members for the prayers and encouragement shared for our line workers, and we ask that you continue praying for those impacted by Helene as they work to rebuild in the wake of the storm.