PANTEGO — Tideland EMC crews, working with the assistance of additional contract line crews and tree trimmers, are responding to outages in three counties this morning as the result of overnight icing. More than 2,500 members of the electric cooperative lost power at some point between the hours of 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. Most of the outages are concentrated in Beaufort County along either side of the Pamlico River in Blounts Creek and Bath. Repair crews report that outages have largely been the result of downed trees and limbs.
Approximately 600 members in the Craven County community of Ernul lost power at 4:30 am. Power was restored to those residents at 7 am. Power went back out to 300 of those same residents a half hour later during a second round of falling limbs . Crews continue to work on those repairs. Elsewhere in Craven County, 102 members in the Bucco Reef area of Fairfield Harbour lost power at 5:45 am. Power to those residents was restored at 8:17 am.
The largest outage began at 6:45 am in the Blounts Creek area affecting 1,023 members. Power was restored to those residents at 9:16 am. The largest remaining outage is in the Bath area where approximately 530 members lost power.
Based on damage assessments, Tideland anticipates full system restoration between 1-3 p.m.
Consumers are reminded to shut large household breakers off whenever they lose power. Once power has been restored for 15-20 minutes consumers can begin to cut breakers back on. The longer power is off the more important it becomes to shut household breakers off to avoid overloading transformers and other distribution power equipment when power is first restored.