REMC Repairs Winter Storm Finn Damage
The severe winter weather system that swept across REMC’s five-county region on Jan. 9 and 10 left behind a wake of power outages In total, more than 6,984 member-owners were affected over the duration of the storm. Some members were affected multiple times due to the sustained high winds.
The first outage occurred Tuesday, Jan. 9, at 11:54 am, impacting 172 members. As weather conditions worsened on Tuesday, crews responded to outages throughout the cooperative’s service areas in Randolph, Moore, Montgomery, Chatham and Alamance Counties. Strong wind gusts caused trees to fall on power lines, break poles and block access roads. Heavy rains and flash flooding created challenges for REMC crews responding to faults on the REMC system. At the height of the storm around 4 pm on Tuesday, 4,702 members had lost power.
By 1:30 am on January 10, REMC crews had restored power for all but 145 members. However, in the early morning hours, a second line of squalls moved through the REMC service area. Heavy wind gusts again significantly damaged the system and increased the number of meters without power to 1,552. In some cases, members who had previously received power experienced another outage.
Undeterred by the storm, REMC crews continued restoration efforts. By noon on Jan. 10, crews had restored power to 1,537 members. As of 3:30 pm, only 7 members remain out of power.
Over the course of the event, Lineworkers repaired 30 broken poles from fallen trees and cleared numerous limbs from the powerlines.
I am proud of our team’s response,” said Dale Lambert, Randolph EMC’s CEO. “Our crews worked as efficiently and safely as possible to get the lights back on for members. We appreciate our members’ patience as we worked to restore power.”
Tips for Severe Weather
Winter storms are unpredictable and could strike at any time. In the event of downed or low-hanging power lines, exercise extreme caution. Damaged lines can still carry electric current and cause serious injury or death. Stay well away from downed lines and contact REMC immediately. Additionally, drivers should slow down and give utility crews and emergency responders on the side of the road plenty of room to maneuvre in their work area.
Reporting Outage
Members who experience a power outage should report it by calling 1-877-736-2633 (1-877-REMC-OFF). Members who have enrolled in REMC’s alert outage texting program, SPOTT (Status of Power Outages Through Texts), may also text OUT to this number to report an outage at their location. These members should note that outage status updates will be unavailable during major storm outage restoration efforts.
Randolph EMC offers several options for keeping members informed:
- Follow Randolph EMC on Facebook and X.
- View the online outage map.
- Find the latest press releases, alerts and preparedness tips on our recent news updates on our website.
- Tune in to local TV and radio stations for the latest updates.
- View the latest outage information available on REMC’s online outage map.
