Laurens Electric Saturday Morning Update
October 5, 2024
As of Saturday at 9:00 a.m., 12,715 members remain without power.
Service has been restored to 51,151 members, representing 81% of our member-base.
We are entering the most difficult phase of the rebuilding and restoration process.
Although crews are making steady progress and continuing to restore power to more members each day, most of the remaining outages are concentrated in the most damaged, rural areas of our system. After assessing progress made up to this point, by our best estimate, members in these areas may remain without power through October 11. This timeframe doesn’t apply to everyone – this is an outside estimate.
We urge all members still without power to make necessary plans and preparations. Our crews are working hard to address the damage, but we are facing significant challenges, especially in rural areas. By our most recent assessment, we have 600 broken poles and counting. We’ve repaired approximately 275 as of this morning.
Replacing broken poles typically takes 2-4 hours as crews must remove the old one, set the new one, and restring lines. However, crews in the field have reported it is taking hours to cut through trees and debris to reach equipment, making the process even longer.
The co-op has 265 crews representing more than 600 line technicians and right-of-way workers operating now, including mutual aid workers from 17 states, and more are on the way.
They’re working in rotating shifts 24 hours a day in all parts of our service area, replacing poles, restringing distribution lines, rebuilding circuits, and making repairs in seven Upstate counties. The extensive damage to our system means there is still significant work to do before power is fully restored to every member.
As more of our system becomes energized, it is extremely important to stay away from downed power lines and anything they touch.
The co-op cannot provide more specific estimated time of restoration yet but will share that information as soon as it is available. For the most up-to-date outage information, look for our updates on social media (Facebook, X, and Instagram).
While driving, please make way for crews working on roadsides, and don’t approach lineworkers while they’re on the job; it presents a safety hazard for them and the public and disrupts restoration work.
Members who are dependent on medical equipment at home and are without power should contact the S.C. Department of Public Health at 1-855-472-3432 to find out if they are eligible for a medical needs shelter.
We remain grateful for our members’ understanding and patience as we respond to this emergency.
Photo source: LEC Facebook page
