Cooperative returns to normal operations post winter storm

A&N Electric Cooperative has returned to normal operations following Monday’s winter storm. The storm brought gusting winds, coastal flooding, and heavy rain which turned into heavy snowfall by Monday afternoon.

Areas in Accomack County received as much as 3 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. The wet, heavy snow made driving conditions hazardous and combined with the wind, resulted in scattered outages throughout the day.

Cooperative personnel spent the majority of the day and night responding to those outages associated with the weather. At the height of the storm about 3,600 co-op members were without power due to an issue with the cooperative’s Bayview substation. Power to those members was restored in under an hour. By Monday night the cooperative had returned to normal operations with very minimal outages reported.

“We were very fortunate that the storm did not impact us any worse than it did,” said Joe Cataldo, Vice President of Operations and Construction for the cooperative. “The rest of the state was hit harder and they are still dealing with extended outage times.”

Dominion Energy reported more than 200,000 of its 2.7 million customers were without power Monday at about noon. That number dropped to 139,000 by Tuesday morning as crews continued to respond to outages. Members of the Virginia, Delaware, Maryland Association of Electric Cooperatives continue to respond to over 100,000 co-op members experiencing power outages.

“With the storm passed and the cooperative returning to normal operations, we will be sending mutual assistance to some of our sister co-ops who are still responding to storm-related outages,” Cataldo said.

While local outages have been restored, the cooperative asks its members to report any damage to electric utility equipment, or any objects that may potentially damage equipment. Report these issues by using our SmartHub app or by calling 757-787-9750.

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