Freezing rain causes outages to 31 Verendrye members
Freezing rain causes outages to 31 Verendrye members
This past week, power outages caused by freezing rain and windy conditions left 31 people without power while linemen worked through the weather to repair damaged lines and poles.
Weather permitting, all of the affected members were expected to have their power restored before dark, January 22. Three outages occurred after 9:30 a.m. in southern Ward County. The combination of ice and snow caused two poles to break and several line breakages.
“When we get freezing rain, it builds up on the lines, causing them to be more susceptible to the wind. When we get too much ice and too much wind, the lines will slap together, causing power outages, and in some cases, poles actually break.” said Community Relations Manager Tom Rafferty.
Line crews were dispatched to the problem areas quickly after receiving the call and they are working to restore power as quickly as possible.
Verendrye members can expect to experience their lights flickering throughout the storm, but if they experience an outage, they should call Verendrye at 1-800-472-2141 to report it 24 hours a day. If you see downed power lines or poles, stay away and call Verendrye immediately.
“Safety of our employees and safety of our members is our number one priority,” Rafferty said “We appreciate the difficult work our line crews have to do during severe weather and we appreciate the cooperation and patience of the members as we work to restore power.”
Tuesday, January 26 update:
Verendrye crews worked through blinding wind and snow to restore power to all of its members who experienced outages on Monday.
As of 3:10 p.m., all Verendrye members had power, but more outages could occur tonight as the wind continues to blow hard, causing whiteout conditions.
There were around 45 Verendrye members without power early Monday morning. Most of the outages occurred in southern Ward County near Max, Douglas, Ryder and Ruso, although an area west of Des Lacs was also affected.
Monday’s severe weather conditions were a continuation of weather that has caused outages starting Friday, affecting not only Verendrye, but cooperatives and utility companies throughout the state.
