10/2 – 5:40 PM: All outages have been restored. Thanks to all of our members for their patience and understanding during this restoration process. We also thank our employees for their hard work and for the mutual aid from Satilla, Southern Rivers and Flint Energies in Georgia.
10/2 – 2:00 PM: We currently have 13 outages affecting 364 members. Crews are still out repairing smaller outages to tap lines which could serve a small subdivision or stretch over several miles in rural areas. Most of the remaining outages impact less than 10 people each which means there might be several hours of work to restore power for only a handful of members. This restoration will continue today through tomorrow. To learn more about the power restoration process visit, see blue graphic below.
10/2 – 7AM UPDATE: Our crews have resumed work. We hope to have all members restored Sunday but a few could last until Monday.
10/1 – 7:00PM UPDATE: We currently have 85 total outages affecting 1,146 members with about half in Orange County, a quarter in Caswell and the rest spread across our system.
The goal during power restoration during widespread outage events like today is to restore service to the greatest number of members in the least amount of time. At this time, our crews are wrapping up restoration to main distribution lines; these main lines deliver power from the substation to large groups of customers such as towns or communities. After the main lines have been restored, line crews begin repairing tap lines which could serve a small subdivision or stretch over several miles in rural areas; 80 percent of the remaining 74 outages impact less than 10 people which means there might be several hours of work to restore power for only a handful of members. This restoration will likely occur throughout tomorrow.
Sometimes, damage will occur on the service line between your house and the transformer on the nearby pole. This can explain why you have no power when your neighbor does. If you are concerned there may be damage to your home’s service line, please report your outage to Piedmont Electric at info@pemc.coop (with your name and address) or call 800.222.3107 to speak to a Member Services Representative.
10/1 – 1:00PM UPDATE: At the peak, we had 8,875 members without power. We are currently down to 5,062 and we anticipate ending the day at about 2,500-3,000 members still without power. Our crews are finding limbs on the lines, broken poles, wires on the ground, and more issues across our system. Crews have to start by cutting away any trees or limbs on lines before putting wires back up or replacing damaged equipment. Replacing a broken pole takes at least four hours and can take longer depending on the damage done to the surrounding equipment. As a result, we don’t anticipate big jumps in the number of members restored. Progress will be steady, but slow throughout the night. We hope to have all members restored Sunday but a few could last until Monday.
10/1 – 11:19AM PHONE UPDATES: Currently, our system is temporarily overloaded. If you’re experiencing a busy signal when you dial in, please hang up and try back in 10-15 minutes. Please know that you can also report an outage online through SmartHub https://pemc.smarthub.coop/Login.html . Again, thank you for being patient with us.
10/1 – 9:45 AM update: Dispatch is aware of lines down or trees in the line for Orange County: Blalock Road, New Jericho Road, Old Fayetteville Road, Moss Creek Court, Jones Ferry Road, Al Gray Road.
Caswell County: Osmond Road, Balance Road, Ridgeville Road, Fuquay Road, Brookhollow Road, Stagville Road (tree in line), Snatchburg Road (broken pole, line holding pole up).
Surl has been restored, there was a tree in the line.
Almost all damage is a result of trees or limbs either on lines, having knocked down lines or broken poles. Crews are out working to restore outages and assessing damages for others. Restoration estimates should be up-to-date and will likely be updated again around 4 p.m.
10/1 – 7AM update: We have 142 outages affecting 8,775 members. Crews are resuming work with the largest outages first and will continue until all members are restored. Additional crews from Flint Energy, Satilla EMC, and Southern River in Georgia are coming to help speed up recovery. The outage map will provide the most up-to-date estimates. Estimates will be updated as more info becomes available.
9/30 – 9:40PM update: Dangerous conditions have forced us to cease work for the night. Work will resume early tomorrow morning. We are calling in outside crews to make sure all of our members are restored as fast as possible. See the link in our 5PM update for live updates on your specific outage.
9/30 – 8:30PM update: We have 83 separate outages affecting 4,400 members. High winds have slowed our progress in restoring service, since they make operating bucket trucks unsafe. We anticipate that these outages will last into Saturday, but our crews are committed to restoring your service fast and safely as conditions allow. Thank you again for your patience.
9/30 – 7:20PM update: We have restored power to over 2,000 members so far and will continue to work as long as conditions allow. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
9/30 – 6:30PM update: We are aware of a number of outages in Chapel Hill and Carrboro area. Crews are inbound and will work to get your power restored quickly and safely.
9/30 – 5PM: Update: We’ve dispatched crews to outages. For updates on individual outages, go to http://outageviewer.pemc.org:88/
9/30 – 2:30 p.m. Piedmont Electric’s crews are responding to scattered outages as a result of weather related to Hurricane Ian. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Central NC; impacts include heavy rain, possible flash flooding, strong gusty winds and isolated tornadoes. Conditions are expected to deteriorate through the morning with the heaviest rain and strongest winds expected during the afternoon and evening hours. Piedmont Electric has been tracking Hurricane Ian and is ready to respond should we continue to have any power outages as a result of this weather event.
9/29 – 8:00 a.m. Piedmont Electric is closely monitoring the path of Hurricane Ian which could impact our area starting Friday through Sunday. Impacts for our area will include heavy rain, possible flash flooding, gusty winds, and a few isolated tornadoes. We are prepared and ready to respond should this weather event cause power outages and we encourage our members to always be prepared for storms as well.
Take a look at FEMA’s emergency kit list to make sure you’re ready throughout this hurricane season. In addition, Piedmont Electric would like to encourage co-op members to keep their cell phones charged and consider purchasing an external cell phone battery pack, as prolonged outages are always a possibility following a hurricane. This will allow you to stay connected to necessary emergency and safety updates.
If you experience an outage, you can report it through SmartHub, by calling us at 800.222.3107 or by texting us after you sign up for our outage alert program. We will continue to post future updates on Facebook, Twitter and our website. Thank you for staying safe!
