News

5/11/2009

Outage Update 1 pm 5/11

Citizens Electric personnel as well as 95 out-of-town linemen and tree trimmers are working 16-hour days to complete electric service restoration. In total, more than 165 trained professionals from Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas and Kentucky are working 16-hour days alongside CEC crews to restore electric service as quickly and safely as possible.

As of this hour, approximately 3,400 Citizens' members remain without power following the severe storms that swept through the area on Friday. That is down from around 10,000, which was the peak.

Since most of the destruction occurred within Perry and Cape Counties, Citizens' personnel in Ste. Genevieve are also helping with restoration efforts in the southern districts. Throughout Citizens' entire service area approximately 175 poles were damaged or broken during the storm.

Electric service restoration is done the same way with every electric cooperative. Priority goes to the lines that will get the most people back in service the quickest. This usually begins with main lines from the substations that can affect 200-600 members and continues out to tap lines, which may affect 30-200 members, and then to individual services lines affecting just 1-5 members.

The following is a progress report following that process:
1. All substations have been restored.
2. All but one 12 kV three-phase line have been restored.
3. The remaining three-phase lines will be restored by the end of today.
4. Work continues on all 7.2 kV single-phase lines.
5. Projected completion of all single-7.2 kV lines is the end of the day on Wednesday.
6. Individual outages will be restored once single-phase lines are restored.

Please stay away from all power lines and assume they are energized, even if they are broken or on the ground. If there are electric lines down on your property, stay away and call 1-800-286-2251.

Citizens Electric appreciates your patience during this time. CEC personnel are working hard to complete restoration efforts as quickly and safely as possible. We will keep you posted as further information becomes available.

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