Update, 5:30 p.m.: CEMC now has 27,500 members without power across its five-county area. The vast majority of those are in Sumner County. As of 5:30 p.m., about 1,250 members in Montgomery County were without power.
Previously:
CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The severe ice storm on Saturday and Sunday knocked out power to about 6,000 Clarksville homes, along with tens of thousands of CEMC households across their five-county service area.
In Clarksville, CDE said it had restored power to all but about 720 customers as of 1 p.m.
As of 1:15 p.m., Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation still had around 32,000 members without power across the five-county service area, according to a press release.
Who gets power turned on first?
Ice storms differ from other weather events because they cause extensive physical damage, often resulting in longer restoration times. “Ice doesn’t just knock power out – it breaks things,” said CEMC General Manager Chris Davis in the release. “The weight of ice brings down trees, poles and power lines, and that kind of damage simply takes more time to repair than a typical storm.”
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CEMC restores power in a prioritized, system-wide manner to safely bring service back to the greatest number of members as quickly as possible. Crews first restore critical infrastructure such as hospitals, emergency services, and water systems, followed by main transmission and distribution lines that serve large numbers of members. Neighborhoods and smaller outages are restored after those larger components are repaired, and work cannot begin until conditions are safe, the release said.
“Our crews are restoring power in a deliberate order,” Davis said. “We can’t restore individual homes until the larger pieces of the system feeding them are repaired.”
Next steps in restoring power
Line workers are assessing damage and restoring power throughout the service area, working extended hours in hazardous conditions, CEMC said. Additional contracted crews are coming in to assist, and restoration will continue until all members are restored.
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Members are encouraged to stay off roadways and away from work zones. While most outages are automatically detected by CEMC’s system, members can report them by calling or texting OUT to 800-987-2362 or by logging in to CEMC SmartHub.
“We truly appreciate our members’ patience and cooperation,” said Davis. “Staying off the roads and reporting outages through proper channels helps our crews work more safely and efficiently.”
Staying safe during power outages
CEMC offered the following tips to stay safe during an ice storm.
- Report downed power lines: CEMC urges members to stay alert to safety hazards. All downed power lines should be considered energized and extremely dangerous. Members should stay away from downed lines, avoid anything in contact with them, and report them immediately by calling 911 or CEMC at 800-987-2362.
- Be careful with generators: Members using generators should follow all safety guidelines. Never operate a generator indoors or in enclosed spaces due to the deadly risk of carbon monoxide. Generators should not be plugged directly into wall outlets. If connected to a home during an outage, the main breaker must be turned off to prevent dangerous backfeeding onto power lines.
- Keep cooking equipment outdoors: Never use grills, ovens, or propane heaters indoors.
- Check on your neighbors: Check on elderly neighbors or those with medical needs, and consider warming centers or staying with friends or family if necessary.
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