Cooperative completes power restoration following Winter Storm Hernando

After days of around-the-clock response and recovery efforts, A&N Electric Cooperative has restored power to all members impacted by Winter Storm Hernando, officially concluding a system-wide restoration effort that affected more than 19,000 co-op members at the height of the storm.

The final remaining members had their power restored Wednesday evening.

Winter Storm Hernando swept across the East Coast, leaving hundreds of thousands without power from Virginia to Massachusetts. Within A&N’s service territory, a combination of strong winds and heavy, wet snow caused extensive tree damage. Fallen trees and large limbs brought down power lines and damaged critical infrastructure, resulting in widespread outages.

Cooperative personnel began responding immediately as conditions allowed on Sunday and continued working through challenging weather and hazardous conditions until every member’s service was restored. In total, more than 80 personnel were deployed in the field, including A&N crews, contractors, and mutual aid partners.

Throughout the restoration effort, crews made substantial system repairs, including:

• Replacing 19 broken poles
• Repairing 124 spans of wire – roughly 7 miles of line
• Replacing 29 broken cross arms
• The removal of numerous fallen trees

“These storms test the strength of our system and the dedication of our people,” said Butch Williamson, A&N Electric Cooperative President and CEO. “I couldn’t be more proud of the men and women who worked long hours in difficult conditions to restore service safely and efficiently. Their commitment to our members and community truly makes the difference.”

A&N Electric Cooperative also extends its sincere appreciation to the crews and contractors who assisted in the effort, including Community Electric Cooperative, Prince George Electric Cooperative, Rock Creek Line Construction, Southside Electric Cooperative, T.I.C., American Traffic, and Xylem Tree Experts. Their partnership and support played a critical role in completing restoration as quickly and safely as possible.

The cooperative thanks its members for their patience and understanding throughout the restoration process and remains committed to strengthening the system to better withstand future severe weather events. Members are urged to report any hazardous situations – such as low-hanging wires, damaged poles, or other infrastructure concerns – even if they have not caused an outage, so crews can address potential safety risks promptly.