Electric Co-ops Faced With 1.25 Million Outages in the Wake of Hurricane Helene
PublishedSeptember 27, 2024
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Steven Johnson
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Electric Co-ops Faced With 1.25 Million Outages in the Wake of Hurricane Helene
Last Updated: Sept. 27, 3 p.m. ET
Lineworkers from across the country encountered catastrophic damage from Hurricane Helene as they laboriously started restoring power in the wake of one of the most consequential storms in the 87-year history of electric cooperatives.
Helene knocked out electric service to an estimated 1.25 million co-op members as it passed from the Florida coast to southwest Virginia late Thursday into daylight on Friday.
The Category 4 hurricane, weakened but packing a wallop as a tropical storm, was responsible for at least 25 deaths, the Associated Press reported. It destroyed high-voltage transmission structures, turned highways into impassable mounds of uprooted trees and tangled messes of downed wires and power poles.
As of 2 p.m. Friday, co-ops in Florida were dealing with more than 200,000 outages. Georgia co-ops totaled over 404,000 outages, with more than 316,000 in South Carolina and 230,000 in North Carolina. As the storm passed northwest, more than 100,000 co-op members in Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia also were without power.
More than a dozen states—including Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Ohio, Alabama and Maryland—were deploying mutual aid crews to help with power restoration, which could take weeks in some cases. Some neighboring states dispatched crews as soon they completed their local work. Missouri was sending nearly 200 lineworkers to affected areas, where they would likely remain for days. Mississippi co-ops accounted for more than 250 lineworkers.
Overall, more than 6,400 personnel—including lineworkers, support staff, right-of-way contractors, warehouse staff, safety employees and command center staff—are part of the mutual aid effort.
Blocked roads and waterways
In Florida, Helene ripped through the territories of Madison-based Tri-County Electric Cooperative and Live Oak-based Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative, knocking out essentially the entire system at both co-ops—affecting a combined 50,000 members. Jon Little, SVEC’s director of communications, said nine of the co-op’s 13 substations lacked power due to a loss of transmission services provided by investor-owned utilities.
Some 325 lineworkers and tree-clearing specialists from SVEC and its contractors were in the field early on Thursday with an additional 350 workers arriving on Friday and Saturday, he said. Some 500 boots were on the ground at hard-hit Central Florida Electric Cooperative as well.
At Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative, David Lambert, executive vice president and general manager, said he has never seen so much water. High-water vehicles were being dispatched to help with rescues along the coast. Dade City, Florida-based WREC had as many as 40,000 outages, though that number had been reduced to about 16,000 as of 2 p.m. Friday.
In Georgia, Reidsville-based Canoochee EMC described “unprecedented destruction in all parts of our service territory. Many roadways are currently impassable, delaying total assessment of the situation. We have also enlisted the aid of 91 additional linemen.” More than 90% of members were without electricity as of midafternoon Friday.
In a message to members, Wayne Gossage Jr., president and CEO of Wrens-based Jefferson Energy Cooperative, said “Currently, our system is 100% without power. Our crews are currently focused on major roadways so that the other crews can make it in to their equipment and begin outage restoration.”
Tri-County Electric Cooperative in Florida is overcoming its third hurricane in 14 months. (Photo By: TCEC/Rebecca Vann Photography)
York Electric Co-op lineman Graham Hennessey holds his 2-month-old daughter, Madelyn, during a brief break from work to restore power in South Carolina on Oct. 1. (Photo By: Erin P. Nichols)
Linemen from Claverack REC in Wysox, Pennsylvania—including one who celebrated his wedding just on Saturday—are assisting with restoration efforts in North Carolina. (Photo Courtesy: Rebecca Allen/Claverack REC)
A crew from Burleson, Texas-based United Cooperative Services stopped for a photo before assisting with mutual aid restoration efforts. (Photo Courtesy: United Cooperative Services)
Cuivre River Electric Cooperative lineworkers pose for a photo before heading to Georgia to assist with restoration efforts. (Photo Courtesy: Cuivre River EC)
A lineman works after dark in Millen, Georgia-based Planters EMC territory on Oct. 1. (Photo Courtesy: Planters EMC)
Suwannee Valley EC crews worked into the night on Oct. 1. The co-op posted Oct. 2 on Faceebook that power has been restored to more than 25,000—nearly 90%—of its consumer members and that nearly 1,500 crewmembers are working in its service territory. (Photo Courtesy: SVEC)
A tribute to lineworkers in Chapin, South Carolina, earlier this week. (Photo Courtesy: Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina)
Crews continued working for the sixth straight day in hard-hit Suwannee Valley EC territory in Florida on Oct. 1. (Photo Courtesy: Suwannee Valley EC)
A tent city on Sept. 30 houses 200 lineworkers to restore power at Planters EMC in Millen, Georgia. (Photo By: Planters EMC)
Crews in Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative territory in Georgia worked into the night on Sept. 28. The co-op posted on its Facebook page that 1,100 workers—from SVEC, contractors and mutual aid crews—were simultaneously performing damage assessments and power restoration. (Photo Courtesy: Suwannee Valley EC)
Restoration work in high water continued in Cairo, Georgia-based Grady EMC territory on Sept. 29. (Photo Courtesy: Grady EMC)
The remnants of Helene caused damage even in Ohio. Lancaster-based South Central Power Co. saw nearly 30 broken poles as restoration work stretched over the weekend. (Photo Courtesy: South Central Power Co.)
In North Carolina, the rebuilding efforts from Hurricane Helene are often are from the ground up as crews replace broken poles and spans of line. (Photo Courtesy: North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives)
On Saturday, Sept. 28, pole replacement was the name of the day for hard-hit Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative in Florida. (Photo Courtesy: Suwannee Valley Electric)
Debris and downed structures litter roadways in the territory of Central Florida Electric Cooperative on Sept. 28. (Photo By: CFEC)
As of noon on Sept. 28, Jackson EMC had restored power to nearly all of its members. The Georgia co-op had more than 20,000 consumer-members without power after Hurricane Helene swept through its territory in the early morning hours of Sept. 27. The co-op’s lineworkers, along with mutual aid crews, replaced more than...
On Friday morning, Live Oak, Florida-based Suwannee Valley EC crews began working on restoration efforts. The co-op posted on its Facebook page that 99.9% of its service territory lost power and that nine of its 13 substations lost power. (Photo Courtesy: Suwannee Valley EC)
As of midday on Sept. 27, Jackson EMC crews were working to restore power to just more than 10,000 consumer-members across the co-op's service area, down from nearly 20,000 earlier in the day, according to a post on its Facebook page. (Photo Courtesy: Jackson EMC)
Snapping Shoals EMC faced some 20 broken poles after the remnants of Hurricane Helene slammed its service territory overnight on Sept. 27. (Photo Courtesy: Snapping Shoals EMC)
As of midday on Sept. 27, Jackson EMC crews were working to restore power to just more than 10,000 consumer-members across the co-op's service area, down from nearly 20,000 earlier in the day, according to a post on its Facebook page. (Photo Courtesy: Jackson EMC)
As of midday on Sept. 27, Jackson EMC crews were working to restore power to just more than 10,000 consumer-members across the co-op's service area, down from nearly 20,000 earlier in the day, according to a post on its Facebook page. (Photo Courtesy: Jackson EMC)
A co-op crew from Indiana cuts through downed trees and debris to set a pole in an affected Georgia electric cooperative. (Photo By: Indiana Electric Cooperatives.)
Restoration efforts were underway on Sept. 27 in Palmetto, Georgia-based Coweta-Fayette EMC’s territory following damage from Hurricane Helene. (Photo Courtesy: Coweta-Fayette EMC)
A fallen tree knocked out a substation in Dobson, North Carolina-based Surry-Yadkin EMC’s territory on Sept. 27 as the remnants of Hurricane Helene moved through the Carolinas. (Photo Courtesy: Surry-Yadkin EMC)
Tri-County EMC crews in Madison, Florida-based Tri-County Electric Cooperative continued restoration efforts on Sept. 27. Hurricane Helene made landfall in the co-op’s service territory in the evening hours of Sept. 26. (Photo Courtesy: Tri-County EMC)
Also in Georgia, Covington-based Snapping Shoals EMC continued restoration efforts. As of midday Friday, Sept. 27, the co-op had approximately 2,000 consumer-members without power. (Photo Courtesy: Snapping Shoals EMC)
Dade City, Florida-based Withlacoochee River EC saw what the co-op described as “historic water and extremely high wind gusts” through its service territory when Hurricane Helene came ashore on Sept. 26. (Photo Courtesy: Withlacoochee River EC)
A view of the widespread flooding in Withlacoochee River EC’s territory late in the evening in Florida on Sept. 26 after Hurricane Helene passed through. (Photo Courtesy: Withlacoochee River EC)
On Friday morning, Live Oak, Florida-based Suwannee Valley EC crews began working on restoration efforts. The co-op posted on its Facebook page that 99.9% of its service territory lost power and that nine of its 13 substations lost power. (Photo Courtesy: Suwannee Valley EC)
On Friday morning, Live Oak, Florida-based Suwannee Valley EC crews began working on restoration efforts. The co-op posted on its Facebook page that 99.9% of its service territory lost power and that nine of its 13 substations lost power. (Photo Courtesy: Suwannee Valley EC)
A basecamp at Suwannee Valley EC in Live Oak, Florida, had approximately 1,500 beds ready for crews ready to assist with restoration efforts ahead of Hurricane Helene’s landfall on Sept. 26. (Photo Courtesy: Florida Electric Cooperatives Association)
Mutual aid crews—and their families, including the little ones—from CoServ in Corinth, Texas, meet on Sept. 25 before heading to assist co-ops in Georgia with restoration efforts from Hurricane Helene. (Photo Courtesy: Sawnee EMC)
Linemen from Coles-Moultrie EC in Mattoon, Illinois, before heading to Georgia on Sept. 25 ahead of Hurricane Helene’s landfall along the Gulf Coast. (Photo Courtesy: Coles-Moultrie EC)
Linemen from Northwestern REC in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania, hit the road to Coweta-Fayette EMC in Palmetto, Georgia, on Sept. 25 in advance of Hurricane Helene’s arrival. (Photo Courtesy: Northwestern REC)
At Jackson EMC in Jefferson, Georgia, crews gathered supplies from warehouses to stock and prepare trucks for the storm response, while welcoming crews from other co-ops and contractors starting to arrive for support in advance of Hurricane Helene’s landfall on Sept. 26. (Photo Courtesy: Jackson EMC)
A mutual aid crew from CoServ in Corinth, Texas, meet on Sept. 25 to head to assist co-ops in Georgia with restoration efforts from Hurricane Helene. (Photo Courtesy: Sawnee EMC)
A mutual aid crew from Creedmoor, Texas-based Pike Electric arrived in Jackson EMC territory in Georgia on Sept. 26 in advance of Hurricane Helene’s landfall. (Photo Courtesy: Jackson EMC)
A crew from Sam Houston EC in Texas prepares to head to Central Georgia Electric Cooperative on Sept. 26 to assist with restoration efforts from Hurricane Helene. (Photo Courtesy: Sam Houston EC)
At Laurens EC in South Carolina, employees inspected equipment on Sept. 26 while prepping for Hurricane Helene to impact their service territory. (Photo Courtesy: Laurens EC)
Crews at Withlacoochee River EC in Dade City, Florida, finished advance prep ahead of Hurricane Helene’s landfall on Sept. 26 and were on standby to begin restoration efforts. (Photo Courtesy: Withlacoochee River EC)
Jackson EMC system control operators in Georgia continue to monitor Hurricane Helene and dispatch crews for restoration efforts in the early morning hours of Sept. 27. (Photo Courtesy: Jackson EMC)
Crews at Grady EMC in Cairo, Georgia, grab a quick meal before returning to work after Hurricane Helene passed through the co-op’s service territory. (Photo Courtesy: Grady EMC)
Sack lunches provided by a local business await crews working on restoration efforts at Clarkesville, Georgia-based Habersham EMC on Sept. 27. (Photo Courtesy: Habersham EMC)
A tree fell on a Broad River Electric Cooperative truck, crushing the hood and cracking the windshield. There were no injuries, but the truck a loss. (Photo By: Broad River Electric Cooeprative)
Extensive damage in the Carolinas
South Carolina co-ops registered 425,000 outages at peak as the storm crawled along the South Carolina-Georgia border, taking down almost 50 transmission lines, officials reported.
“Until the wind and rain subsides, it is too dangerous for restoration to begin,” Blue Ridge told its members. The co-op also warned members on Facebook of an apparent scam in which a member reported receiving a phone call from an unauthorized party demanding partial payment to avoid service disconnection at a critical time.
Aiken Electric Cooperative reported more than 90% of its system was down. “Contracting teams have been dispatched to assess damage and begin making repairs. Reports have indicated major damage including many downed lines, fallen trees and broken poles, which can take time to repair, especially in adverse weather conditions,” the Aiken-based co-op told its members.
Laurens Electric Cooperative, with 98% of its 63,000 members out at peak, said Helene may be the worst storm in the history of the Laurens-based co-op. IOU transmission lines needed repair work first, the co-op noted. “Our linemen must also navigate roadways blocked by fallen trees.”
North Carolina cooperatives reported 230,000 outages as of 3 p.m. Friday. Crews from the eastern part of the state, which incurred limited damage, headed west to co-ops including Rutherford EMC, based in Forest City, and Haywood EMC, based in Waynesville, both of which had more than 80% of their members lacking electricity. Haywood EMC said extreme flooding, landslides and road closures were hampering its ability to conduct damage assessments.
“This will be a collaborative effort from the entire network of North Carolina’s electric cooperatives and beyond,” said Jason Caudle, chief operating officer for Tarheel Electric Membership Association, an organization that supplies materials and manages crew movement for North Carolina’s electric cooperatives. “In conditions like these, it’s all-hands-on deck.”
Continuous restoration
In many places, crews worked through the night to bring back power to members. Sumterville, Florida-based SECO Energy had 22,000 accounts in the dark at peak, but that number was reduced to less than 2,000 by 2 p.m. Friday.
“Crews never stopped working overnight. They worked through rain and wind gusts … making significant progress in the restoration effort that continues this morning,” said CEO Curtis Wynn. “We are thankful for their assistance and are thinking of our neighbors in north Florida whose homes and properties are severely damaged.”
The Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) has set up a dedicated page for donations to raise funds for disaster relief to electric cooperatives and co-op employees directly affected by Hurricane Helene.
Steven Johnson is a contributing writer for NRECA.