Fredericktown, MO (PRESS RELEASE) – Over 2,763 Black River Electric Cooperative (BREC) members are still without power as of Wednesday (Jan 8th) at 7 pm. BREC has requested additional support to assist with restoration efforts. Cooperation Among Cooperatives, the sixth cooperative principle, is on full display as 207 lineworkers and support staff work to restore power to the members of Black River Electric Cooperative. One hundred and thirty-two of them are mutual aid line workers, contractors and tree crews from outside the area.
Lineworkers from Ozark Border Electric Cooperative, Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative, White River Valley Electric Cooperative, SEMO Electric Cooperative, Pemiscot Dunklin Electric Cooperative, Three Rivers Electric Cooperative, Southwest Electric Cooperative, Ozark Electric Cooperative, Gascosage Electric Cooperative, Webster Electric Cooperative and SE-MA-NO Electric Cooperative join BREC crews in the fight to get the lights on.
Winter Storm Blair hit BREC’s service territory the hardest, with most counties receiving half an inch of ice that coated trees and powerlines. Outages began Sunday morning and by the afternoon, half of BREC’s system, 12,000 members, were without power. Crews made progress and restored power to a few thousand members before additional outages occurred as conditions worsened overnight. Crews restored power to over 4,000 members Monday. More progress was made Tuesday as crews restored power to approximately 3,000 members. Isolated areas could see extended outage timelines.
“We appreciate our members’ patience as we’ve experienced high call volumes,” the company shares. “BREC employees answer phones Monday through Friday 8am-5pm. Dispatchers answer phones after hours. BREC is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Automated Member Service Hotline is always open and assists Dispatch when call volume is high.”
Members are encouraged to keep safety in mind, especially during extreme cold weather and winter outages. Assume all low and downed lines are energized and dangerous. Never approach a downed power line. Do not try to drive across or move lines. They can cause serious injury or death. Report these situations immediately.
Members with damage to their service entrance equipment will need to have an electrician repair it before power can be restored to the location. Please contact BREC to isolate the problem so an electrician can repair.
To report a power outage, call 1-800-392-4711 or use the Automated Member Service Hotline at 1-888-461-2667. We want to express our appreciation for your patience and understanding during this outage event. Rest assured we will be working as quickly and safely as conditions allow to restore power to you.
