Lee Erwin Reporting
lerwin@clarksvilenow.com
Clarksville, Tenn. – With the cold and wet weather Clarksville is experiencing, some people are wondering about the possibility of ice and snow forming on power lines and causing power outages which of course would add to the danger and misery of the winter storm.
So far there have not been any problems reported from the Clarksville Department of Electricity (CDE) or its customers with the snow, sleet and freezing rain of the winter weather. If there is a need though, CDE is ready to go to work.
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Jim Manning with CDE says there are dispatchers monitoring their entire electrical distribution system 24/7. Manning added that there are crews ready to immediately respond to power outages and there are also extra stand-by crews prepared to handle situations during the current winter storm.
Manning added with snow it’s about trees, mainly evergreens, becoming covered with snow and then drooping over and contacting power lines. Ice buildup on power lines is much more of a concern for CDE especially when ice accumulates on the lines causing them to fail.
The CDE website warns that you should stay away from downed power lines and broken utility poles. Call CDE immediately with the location of downed lines and remember, even lines that look harmless can be dangerous.
The Clarksville Department of Electricity is open Monday–Friday from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and can be reached during or after business hours at (931) 648-8151 or by visiting www.clarksvillede.com.