How long? Power is restored as quickly as possible

  • Jason Cook and Travis Sisson work to clear brush and trees to reach the power pole needing cable run to it.
    Jason Cook and Travis Sisson work to clear brush and trees to reach the power pole needing cable run to it.
  • Heavy undergrowth in the Tri-State EMC right-of-way off Blue Ridge Drive slowed employees working to restore power Sunday evening. The brush had to be removed to clear a path to hang new cable.
    Heavy undergrowth in the Tri-State EMC right-of-way off Blue Ridge Drive slowed employees working to restore power Sunday evening. The brush had to be removed to clear a path to hang new cable.
  • Someone is always looking up for safety when power is restored. Here, front to back, Sterling Callihan, Nic Fowler, Wesley Jones, Travis Sisson, and Darrin Queen work off Blue Ridge Drive in McCaysville.
    Someone is always looking up for safety when power is restored. Here, front to back, Sterling Callihan, Nic Fowler, Wesley Jones, Travis Sisson, and Darrin Queen work off Blue Ridge Drive in McCaysville.
  • Wesley Jones, from left, Rodney Patterson and Sterling Callihan finish clearing a path between two power poles Sunday. One was on the side of Blue Ridge drive, but the other was deep behind a wall of brush and small trees, and up the hill.
    Wesley Jones, from left, Rodney Patterson and Sterling Callihan finish clearing a path between two power poles Sunday. One was on the side of Blue Ridge drive, but the other was deep behind a wall of brush and small trees, and up the hill.
  • Wesley Jones, in bucket, passes a chain saw to Travis Sisson after a tree is cut away from the Pick Quick convenience store in McCaysville.
    Wesley Jones, in bucket, passes a chain saw to Travis Sisson after a tree is cut away from the Pick Quick convenience store in McCaysville.
  • Travis Sisson cuts part of a tree away from the Pick Quick market in McCaysville so power can be restored to the business.
    Travis Sisson cuts part of a tree away from the Pick Quick market in McCaysville so power can be restored to the business.
  • Travis Sisson prepares to make the final repairs to a power pole so electricity can be restored to the Pick Quick convenience store in McCaysville. Tri-State employees spent a little over an hour with Blue Ridge Drive shut down Sunday night as they worked in the area of the store and a vacant lot across the street. A line had broken, the power from it burning a visible pattern in the sidewalk.
    Travis Sisson prepares to make the final repairs to a power pole so electricity can be restored to the Pick Quick convenience store in McCaysville. Tri-State employees spent a little over an hour with Blue Ridge Drive shut down Sunday night as they worked in the area of the store and a vacant lot across the street. A line had broken, the power from it burning a visible pattern in the sidewalk.

    Everyone who has ever experienced a power outage has probably asked, “How long until they get the power back on?”

    “They,” of course, would be the power company, and waiting for the electricity to flow is never the best test of anyone’s patience. Electricity is something taken for granted – we want it and we want it now.

    But when it goes out, “now” can be easier said than done. Getting power back on line is not as easy as flipping a light switch or pushing a button on the microwave.

    The storm this past Sunday afternoon brought another extreme test for the men and women of Tri-State EMC as some 12,000 of their 20,990 customers lost power and at least 45 poles were broken. It was not their first such test, just their latest.

    Challenges such as those caused by the storm must be met with planning and safety in mind. Restoring electricity is a calculated, step by step process. Watching Tri-State crews work in McCaysville Sunday afternoon showed exactly how time consuming that process can be.

    For a little over an hour, men moved carefully to clear brush, remove wire, put up new wire, and complete several tasks. In the end, the power came on with no problem to nearby businesses.

    While the scene reflected just a small portion of the work taking place across the area, it proves “they” move as fast as “they” can.