Cooperative begins outage restoration efforts

A&N Electric Cooperative is working diligently to restore power to co-op members affected by outages associated with Tropical Storm Isaias.

At this time there are about 10,000 local co-op members without power.

The National Weather Service recorded peak wind gusts between 60 and 70 miles per hour during the storm, with numerous tornadoes reported throughout the region.

The region was hit hard by the storm with 192,000 outages reported in the Hampton Roads area and 134,000 total reported throughout the Delmarva peninsula.

The cooperative has identified a transmission issue that is the primary cause of power outages in Northampton County. The cooperative has personnel at the site who are working to resolve the issue. The transmission issue should restore power to a large portion of members who are currently without power.

Due to the number of individual outages, once main circuits are restored co-op members may need to report their outage again to log them back into the outage system.

Cooperative crews along with our construction and tree trimming contractors will continue to respond to other scattered outages, throughout our service area. Crews are prepared to work well into the night to restore power.

“We’re experiencing a number of downed trees and limbs that have caused damage to cooperative lines and blocked access on roads,” said Brian Charnock, Director of Operations and Construction Services for the cooperative. “We’re committed to working as quickly as we can to address the outages our members are experiencing and thank them for their continued patience.”

Co-op members are urged to stay away from any downed power lines and to report them to the cooperative by calling 757-787-9750 or 911 immediately.

Those using a portable generator should never run it inside their home or garage. Some produce carbon monoxide fumes, which can be deadly. Make sure your generator is installed properly. A generator must be installed with a double-pole, double throw transfer switch to keep it from backfeeding in the cooperative’s distribution system.

Due to the possibility of prolonged outages, families who have special medical needs or elderly members should plan to make alternate arrangements while the cooperative works to restore power.

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