After the Storm

April Message from Randall Pugh
President/CEO

Just days after our crews returned from assisting Kentucky cooperatives’ winter storm recovery, we were faced with our own. Last month, a record-breaking winter storm hit Barrow, Banks, Jackson and Madison counties. Up to nine inches of heavy snow clung to trees weakened by drought and soaked by three inches of rain, pitching them into power lines. When the snowstorm subsided, it left nearly 33,000 members affected.

In the aftermath, both our damage assessment teams and repair crews found travel difficult and in some cases impossible. This is a common occurrence in our more rural landscapes. Crews worked to replace broken power poles and numerous spans of downed lines. At the final count, 128 broken poles were replaced. As the snow melted, our bucket and derrick trucks sank up to their axles in already soggy ground that melting snow turned into mud. Even though we worked day and night, adding all available crews from our Gwinnett and Gainesville districts, as well as contractors and volunteers from three other electric cooperatives, it took several days to restore power to all affected members.

We know living without power isn’t easy, particularly in freezing weather. And we realize the hardships created, especially in this economy, when the contents of refrigerators and freezers have to be discarded. We’ve heard from some members who were frustrated by the time it took for their power to be restored, and we’ve received cards, letters and e-mails of thanks from members who appreciated the effort this outage required. We want to assure you that whenever Mother Nature deals this kind of blow, we work to restore power as quickly as conditions and safety considerations allow.

Randall Pugh
President/CEO.