Behind the Lines: Laurens Electric Crews Restore Power and Offer Post-Storm Advice

Upstate South Carolina dodged a bullet this weekend, as the impacts in our area from Winter Storm Fern were much lower than anticipated.

Laurens Electric Crew Supervisor Clay Lambert said, “We’re really lucky we got more sleet than freezing rain or we would have been in much worse shape.”

Lambert was part of the response to power outages in Spartanburg County. At the height of the storm at 7 o’clock Sunday evening,  a peak of 1,350 co-op members lost power, and there were several smaller, scattered outages through the night into Monday.

Lambert and his crew of linemen worked to restore power to residential areas in Spartanburg and noted that at least some of the outages were caused by extreme strain on transformers.

“The size of the transformer bringing power from our distribution lines to the service line into your home is based on your home’s size and typical power needs. When your HVAC is working as hard as it does during a winter storm, you’re running all your usual electric appliances and devices, and you add two or three space heaters to the mix, it can pull so much power that it blows out the transformer,” he said.

Another piece of advice he offered to co-op members is to be mindful of whether a crew’s access to power equipment is blocked or obstructed.

“Ahead of an ice storm, people tend to park their cars at the tops of their driveways so they can get out easily when it’s safe to travel. That makes perfect sense, but if we can’t get around your vehicle to  the power pole in your back yard, that’s slows power restoration.”

Rural areas come with their own safety hazards

Service Technician Nick Stewart’s experience during the storm was a little different, as he was part of the response in heavily wooded areas in Enoree.

“Just getting to the outage location was frustrating because we had to travel with snow chains on the tires of the bucket trucks. Maximum safe speed in those conditions is about 25 miles per hour. Then, once you get there, sometimes you have to walk the line along a forested right of way in the dark, and you’re worried about trees and branches weighed down by ice falling on you.”

What begins next is a process, Stewart added. Linemen check every span of line, every piece of equipment, and during a winter storm there are often trees and brush hanging over everything, obscuring the problem.

“There’s also the added safety concerns of cutting away trees,” said Stewart. “A tree with ice on it weighs a lot more and is going to behave differently when you take a chainsaw to it.

Preparedness helps speed restoration

Safety is a top priority for Laurens Electric, as is preparedness. Ahead of the storm, the co-op held multiple briefings each day, secured extra supplies, staged equipment at strategic locations throughout its service area, and called in extra crews.

LEC Senior Project Coordinator Joey Parker was one of the men leading a crew from Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative, which arrived from Wewahitchka, Florida on Saturday to aid in the storm response.

Mutual support during natural disasters or other events that cause widespread damage is one of the Seven Cooperative Principles. When crews arrive to lend a hand, they’re paired with a senior co-op employee, called a bird dog, who knows the co-op’s service area well.

Like the moniker implies, Parker’s job as bird dog was to help Gulf Coast’s navigate to problem areas during the storm and share his knowledge of Laurens Electric’s system.

Parker said leading the crews to outage locations was slow going.

“I had to make sure not to lose them because driving those big bucket trucks in icy conditions while being careful of other motorists takes about three times as long as usual. You can’t help anyone if your truck is in a ditch.”

He added, “they were a good group of guys, and we really appreciate their help. I told them to put our name on the list the next time they expect a hurricane.”

‘Ready for the next one’

Laurens Electric’s Manager of Safety and Loss Control Jordan Gaines said all the crews performed exceptionally and were mindful of the hazards associated with a winter event.

“As a cooperative, we prepared properly and were able to get around and take care of our members safely. Luckily the temperatures picked up and allowed conditions to improve earlier than we thought,” said Gaines.

“I’d say we will be ready for the next one that comes along.”

While Winter Storm Fern proved less severe than originally forecast for the Upstate, the experience served as a reminder of how quickly conditions can change — and how much coordination and caution go into keeping the lights on. From navigating icy backroads to working around fallen limbs and overloaded equipment, Laurens Electric crews emphasized that preparation, patience, and community awareness all play a role in safe and speedy power restoration. As crews reset equipment and restock supplies, the message from the field is clear: stay mindful, stay prepared, and know your co-op is ready when the next storm rolls in.

Photo credit:  Sheila Drown