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