News

Four County EMC � Outage Update � September 21 - 6 p.m.

Crews will continue to monitor the flooded areas closely so repairs can be made as soon as possible.

More than 88 percent of Four County EMC members have power after Hurricane Florence stalled over our service area for several days. As of 6 p.m. today, approximately 3,652 members remain without service.

• About 1,500 – 2,000 members waiting to receive electricity are in flooded areas of Bladen, Duplin and Pender counties. Even if the area directly around the member is not flooded, the terrain where the repairs are needed may be flooded.  Many areas are not accessible, but the crews are making every attempt to reach restoration points by boat.  They will continue to monitor these areas closely so repairs can be made as soon as possible.

• The remaining outages, in part, represent individual services that will make progress seem slower. In these cases, the repair teams were able to energize a whole line, but an individual’s house has damage confined only to their individual service. Also, tap lines that serve small groups – 2 or 3 services, are also part of the remaining outage.

• Many areas in Duplin and Pender Counties still have wire and poles down as well as trees to remove.

We thank our members for their patience and many kind words as crews and co-op staff have worked tirelessly and diligently to rebuild after the storm and historic flooding. We will work until lights are back on for all members. Please report outages to 1-888-368-7289.

Get outage updates by checking our real-time system map at www.fourcty.org or follow Four County EMC on Facebook and Twitter.

  Safety:

·         Never wade into, or drive through, flood water.

·         Only use generators and charcoal grills in well-ventilated areas; a garage does not count as a well-ventilated area.

·         Never connect a generator directly to a home’s wiring. Instead, use an extension cord to plug lights and appliances into the generator.

·         Never touch a downed power line, and remember that sometimes debris can cover fallen lines, making them difficult to spot.

·         Stay far away from downed or sagging power lines. Always assume that a power line is energized and potentially deadly.

·         Help keep our crews safe. If you see utility crews working on the side of the road, slow down and drive carefully.