Winter Storm Blair+Cora Outage Update

Sunday, Jan. 12

9:00 AM Update

We have crews visiting locations today that are experiencing an individual service outage. We will restore power to services that are safe and ready to restore. Otherwise, we will leave a door hanger to notify members of their next steps to have power restored.

It’s very important that members with damage to their service entrance equipment have an electrician make repairs. After repairs are made, Citizens will need to be notified to restore power to that location. Members are responsible for: weather-head, conduit, meter base, grounding rod and conductor.

Citizens Electric is the owner and holds responsibility for the meter which may only be installed or removed by Citizens Electric representatives.

We value your membership. Member Service Representatives are available today by calling 877-876-3511, option 5.

This will be the last storm update post for this event. Forestry and additional cooperative crews were released Saturday night after their 9PM dinner break to assist surrounding cooperative systems. Any incoming outages from here on out will be treated as normal outage restorals.

Saturday, Jan. 11

8:00 PM Update

Today was a productive day as working conditions were on our side. We were happy with the ice melt, and the electric system is stabilizing.

•140 broken poles have been identified and replaced.

•297 members reflect in the outage management system without power as of 8:00 PM and the number continues to decline.

Additional line crews, tree trimmers and logistical support will continue working Sunday as they did today to get power restored.

Member service representatives will again be available at 8 AM Sunday by calling 877-876-3511, option 5.

10:00 AM Update

Aerial patrol is out this morning assisting to determine damage on lines. In this image, you can see where lines appear to be intertangled from the ice and snow melting.

Aerial patrol is an efficient and effective method for identifying issues on power lines due to its ability to access remote areas, reducing risk to personnel and equipment in addition to viewing miles of line in a fraction of the time it would take a crew to walk or drive the same route.

Continued disrupted service is expected as ice melts from trees and power lines. Rest assured, we are fully engaged today with 132 lineworkers and additional support staff working today, Saturday, January 11 to restore power to the members of Citizens Electric Corporation. VP of Operations stated in an internal update, “It’ll be another full day of restoration but we are committed to getting our members back online as soon as possible, safely.”

Friday, January 10
5:00 PM Update

Winter Storm Cora has made its presence felt, layering a thick blanket of snow on top of the existing ice left behind by Winter Storm Blair. This combination affected restoration efforts slowing response times with the addition of outages. Crews are working to restore power to the remaining members. Over 11,000 Citizens Electric Corporation members have been restored since Sunday’s winter storm.

Continued disrupted service is expected as ice melts from trees and power lines. Melting and falling ice from trees and lines will cause additional motion on the line as many limbs rise from ice weighted sag. As ice accumulates on power lines, it forms a teardrop shape. When wind blows, wires move up and down in an oscillating motion acting like aerodynamic airplane wings. This activity is often referred to as galloping which causes electricity to jump between conductors causing faults.

Additional crews will remain engaged throughout the weekend including all Citizens Electric personnel. Our team is dedicated to ensuring that all affected members are restored as quickly and safely as possible. All lineworkers and support staff understand the crucial role that electricity plays in the daily lives of our members and are committed to working tirelessly to achieve full restoration.

12:00 PM Update

The snow is falling, prohibiting crews to navigate as quickly as they would like, causing additional delays for today’s work and additional outages as we predicted. We’ve gotten multiple trucks stuck in snow and even our units with tracks are having a difficult time getting traction.

The National Weather Service is still calling for 3-7 inches of snow through 5pm today. We are trudging forward making repairs to restore service to members as quickly and safely as possible. Progress was made yesterday as men defeated challenging terrain as you can see in the picture. As of this morning the total members without of power is around 717.

Our focus remains on restoring power as we are committed to getting members' service back online as soon as possible. We appreciate for your patience and understanding during this challenging time.

Thursday, Jan. 9

6:00 PM Update

Power has been restored to over 90 percent of members affected by Sunday afternoon’s Winter Storm Blair. 140 linemen, 30 tree trimmers and all support staff remain engaged as 1,080 members remain without power. In some areas, outages may extend into the week of January 13.

Crews are preparing for the potential of additional outages due to the impact of Winter Storm Cora, which has been forecasted to blanket the service territory with 4-6” of snow. Current restoration progress is expected to slow. It is possible for those who have had power restored to find themselves without power again.

We greatly appreciate your understanding, patience and kindness as we work as quickly and safely as possible. We truly value your membership.

Stay away from all fallen lines.

Report all outages by calling 877-876-3511.

11:30 AM Update

Day 5 of Winter Storm Blair outage restoration efforts for many here at Citizens. All 140 linemen, 30 tree trimmers and 40 support staff are still at it. We are hopeful that the sunshine and melting temperatures allow ice shed with the anticipation of snow tonight.

We have been in contact with the National Weather Service discussing tonight / tomorrow’s predicted snowfall. With the initial predictions, we are expecting our restoration to be slowed down tremendously and creating further outages. It is possible that many who have had power restored could be without power again. We are concerned considering the lingering ½ - ¾” of ice on the trees and lines.

Current outage total as of 11:00 AM – 1,309

Cape Girardeau County – 234

Perry County - 1,018

Ste Genevieve County – 53

Wednesday, January 8

12:00 PM

Despite last night’s frigid temperatures, our crews have worked hard to reduce outages from approximately 5,000 meters to 3,800. We’ve faced many challenges including terrain, unprecedented system damage, and countless vegetation entanglements. We continue to identify new broken poles adding to the existing 78.

Due to working conditions, and the amount of damage, we have a few days left to restore the bulk of the outages with the possibility of outages for individual homes and remote locations extending into next week.

Our focus remains on restoring power as we are committed to getting members' service back online as soon as possible. We appreciate for your patience and understanding during this challenging time.

Tuesday, January 7

Update 11:30 AM

Outages currently stand around 5,000 meters without power. We are hoping to make great headway today. Currently, we are estimating to have outages restored by this weekend. We know that temperatures are going to be extremely cold over the next few days and suggest that if you do not have an alternative heat source for your home, you seek shelter elsewhere. We understand the frustrations; the damage from this storm has been devastating to our system and is widespread.

Today you may see aerial patrol helping us identify potential issues we can't identify from the ground.

30 additional tree trimming crews have been added to assist in restoration efforts.

100 additional linemen are aiding the fully engaged CEC team. If you haven't seen us yet, we are making our way to your location.

Our team will focus efforts on the following areas today:

Silver Lake

Longtown

Apple Creek

Lake Kah-Tan-Dah

51 South

Brewer

Sereno

61 South

Perryville

Cold Water Creek

Avon

Cedar Fork

Altenberg

The Ridge

Brazeau

Oriole

Neely's Landing

Wittenburg

Fruitland

Every single outage is our priority.

Over 12,000 of our members were without power at the height of the storm. Thanks to our dedicated crews, we've been able to reduce that number by over half! We are incredibly grateful for the patience, love, and support from our community during this challenging time.

Members are urged to never approach, move, or drive over downed power lines.

Call Citizens Electric to report the downed lines and all outages by calling 877-876-3511.

 

Monday, January 6

4:30 PM

Members are urged to never approach, move, or drive over downed power lines.

Call Citizens Electric to report the downed lines and outages by calling 877-876-3511.

Outage Map Data

Cape County – 2,331

Perry County – 4,676

Ste. Genevieve County - 405

Citizens Electric has mobilized 90 line and support contractors, with additional on standby, to join our workforce as we work through outages caused by Winter Storm Blair's impact. Our dedicated team has been working tirelessly over the last 30+ hours to restore power, facing extreme weather conditions along the way.

Crews are continuing to make progress towards restoring power to members in a manner that is both safe and efficient. Often times this means beginning with the highest density population areas that are experiencing outages and branching out from there. This will allow further troubleshooting to take place on our infrastructure.

2:00 PM

At this time, we have just over 8,368 members without power throughout our service area, with Perry and Cape counties seeing many of the outages.

Though we'd like it to be, outage restoration is not a one-size-fits-all kind of operation. Sometimes, it's resetting a fuse or clearing a tree off of a line. Or, as you can see in the photo, it's a downed span of wire tangled in a snow-and-ice-covered area difficult to access. Regardless of the unique challenge, our crews remain dedicated to the task at hand: restoring power to all affected members.

Restoration efforts continue, but it is clear that not all members will have power restored tonight, and we do not have estimates on when your power will be restored. If possible, affected members should consider moving to a location that has electricity, especially if they have a medical device that require power.

Our crews and staff thank you for your patience and kind words as we work to get all members restored.

11:00 AM

We apologize for the delayed update. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we all work together.

Our commitment

Every single outage is our priority. All CEC crews in addition to multiple organizations from throughout the region are assisting as we work long hours, facing many challenges to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.

What we're contending with

Downed trees, broken poles, downed lines, broken crossarms and insulators. Vegetation Crews have had to cut their way in and then often turn around and cut their way out. They’ve been blocked in from fallen limbs numerous times. Hopefully, the weak tree trunks are done falling and we can make real progress today.

At the height of the storm, Citizens Electric experienced over 12,000 meters without service and multiple substations without power. Currently, we have approximately 10,000 meters without service including two substations. Our crews in the field, using all the technology available, have worked tirelessly through the night in some of the worst conditions. They will continue to work throughout the day. Citizens has additional outside line and forestry crews assisting to restore service. The ice buildup on the trees and powerlines is significant. The icing on lines and blowing winds caused additional outages throughout the night. We have numerous lines down and travel has been difficult in places. We hope to make great strides today; however, given the wind forecast, we could experience additional outages today. We will continue to provide updates throughout the day.

Assume all low and downed lines are energized and dangerous, even if they are not arcing. 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.

To report a power outage, call 1-877-876-3511. Please note, that due to the severity of the system at this time, we are not able to estimate the time of most outages. Once an outage has been reported, it stays in the system until power has been restored. Rest assured we will be working as quickly and safely as conditions allow to restore power to you.

A big shoutout to the many friends of Citizens Electric. Thank you so much to the following organizations as they have also assisted with our restoration efforts.

Cuivre River Electric Cooperative, Inc. - mutual aid assistance.

Crawford Electric Cooperative - mutual aid assistance.

Asplundh Tree Expert, LLC - vegetation management.

Power Line Consultants - distribution line contractor.

L.E. Myers Co. – transmission and distribution line contractor.

Hoeckele's Bakery and Deli - food service.

DC's Catering- food service.

 

Sunday, January 5

4:00PM Update

All available Citizens Electric crews are in the field contending with extensive tree damage and managing approximately 5,872 meters without power. Additional contractors and electric cooperative mutual aid have been called in to assist with restoration efforts. We have identified over 20 broken poles thus far, along with broken crossarms and insulators. We are experiencing a lot of tree damage, significant to the point where we complete work in one section only to have new damage to repair down the line.

Wind, rain and icy road conditions will slow down restoration moving into the evening as temperatures drop, wind increases, and precipitation continues throughout the night. Our members should be prepared for a multiple day outage.

Wind is expected to pick up through the night that could cause galloping lines and more outages. When ice freezes on power lines and equipment, it causes the lines to gallop with the wind. The lines then slap into each other, which damages equipment and causes blinking lights and power outages. Anyone who observes a galloping line is urged to stay away from it. Ice can be thrown off the line or the line could break free. Both could cause injury to anyone standing nearby.

Our commitment

Every single outage is our priority. All CEC crews will work long hours, facing many challenges to restore power as quickly as possible.

We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work as quickly and safely as possible. We truly value your membership.

Stay away from all fallen lines.

Report all outages by calling 877-876-3511.

Track outages throughout the service territory>> https://outagemap.cecmo.com/omswebmap/omswebmap.htm

 

 

11:00 PM Final update today (Sunday, Jan. 5). Please check back tomorrow for the latest.

Citizens Electric has mobilized an additional 36 line and support contractors, with additional on standby, to join our workforce as we work through outages caused by Winter Storm Blair's impact.

We want to express our appreciation for your patience and understanding during this challenging time. The winter storm has caused significant damage across our service area, affecting many miles of power lines. Our dedicated team has been working tirelessly over the last 19 hours to restore power, facing extreme weather conditions along the way.

The winter storm system is blanketing much of Cape and Perry County service areas with snow, sleet, and ice. Ice accumulations are extensively weighing down trees and electric lines causing nearly 9,061 outages at this time. While the full extent of the damage is still being assessed, we assure you that every effort is being made to restore power as quickly as possible.

Members are urged to never approach, move, or drive over downed power lines. Call Citizens Electric to report the downed lines at 877-876-3511.

Expect extended power outages.

Generator Safety

•Carefully read and follow the instructions for proper connection and use of a permanent or portable standby generator. You are required to ensure that no electricity from your standby power generator backfeeds into power lines during an outage. Shut off all main breakers before running your generator.

•Proper installation of a generator is critical. Improper use cannot only damage your equipment or electrical system but also potentially result in injury or death to those who use them and to utility workers.

•Do not directly connect a portable generator with your electrical system. A direct connection could result in voltage on utility lines and presents a significant safety concern for utility workers and generator owners. Contact a qualified professional for connections of this type.

•Portable generators should ONLY have appliances directly connected to them and should never be connected to the house wiring system under any circumstances.

•Ensure that the total electric load on your generator will not exceed the manufacturer’s rating.

•Never use a portable generator indoors. Place a portable generator outdoors in a dry area far away from doors, windows and vents.

•Exercise extreme caution when handling fuel for portable generators. Do not attempt to refuel your generator while it is running. Let the generator cool down before adding fuel.