Helene Power Restoration and Damage Assessments Enter the Third Day

Power has been restored to more than 13,500 consumer-members (47.1%) as SVEC enters its third day of restoration efforts.

Over 1,100 workers from SVEC, contractors and mutual aid cooperatives are in the field this morning, simultaneously performing damage assessments and power restoration. Additional crews will arrive later today. Should our consumer-members see a utility or tree service truck, it is safe to assume they are working for the cooperative.

There have been 1,538 documented reports of damage to SVEC’s distribution system, including 354 broken poles. It is anticipated that these numbers will increase.

Two of SVEC’s 13 substations remain without power due to a loss of transmission services provided by Duke Energy. The substations without transmission service are Blair and Burnham in Hamilton County.

Thirty-five of SVEC’s 42 distribution feeders (83%) have been energized in the first 48 hours of restoration.

As repairs progress, some consumer-members may have power restored while others nearby remain without it due to issues with their individual service lines or equipment. Crews follow a structured process, starting at the substation, then moving to distribution feeders and tap lines, before finally addressing individual service connections—the last step in the restoration process.

Local contractors from ULCS/Musgrove Construction work last night to restore power in Lafayette County.