Why is my power still out?
We know it’s frustrating when the power is out. Sometimes outages will only last a few minutes. For example, if a tree branch has interfered with a power line it could potentially be quite easy for linemen to remove. Other times, though, restoration can be much more challenging. Below is a timeline of one outage event that we captured on camera, and the process is quite telling.
This lone tree took out 3 power poles following an isolated weather event called a “microburst”. While this particular weather event was only in a very small radius and only lasted less than an hour, the 70 mph winds caused significant damage.
Restoration Timeline:
A large mature tree fell into the power line causing tension on the wire which pulled down three power poles.
One of the three damaged poles.
After assessing the situation and de-energizing the line in the area, FEC crews brought in backhoes to remove the broken pole stumps from the ground.
New poles were brought in and assembled. Here two FEC crew members mount a crossbeam onto a pole.
New poles needed to be hoisted and set using heavy equipment.
Transformers needed to be brought in and hoisted into place.
Then the transformers needed to be mounted to the pole.
All before the linemen re-string the electrical wire.
And get the power back on in your home.
It’s not always like this, but if your power is out for an extended period of time there’s a good chance that FEC crews are dealing something big. Please be patient, and know that we are working round the clock to get your power back on as quickly and safely as possible.
For details about your outage, you may visit our outage map and sign up for text updates. FEC’s automated system will send you updates about your outage cause and estimated time of restoration as soon as that information is available.
