AHOSKIE – As Florence slowly made its way through North Carolina this past weekend, Roanoke Electric Cooperative (REC) was busy monitoring the situation. By 9 a.m. Friday, REC had only two reported outages in Bertie County, affecting about 100 member-owners.

“Crews were immediately dispatched, damages repaired, and power quickly restored,” reported Lori Everhart, REC Communications Manager.

On Sunday, a six-member crew from REC left before noon to assist power restorations in one of the areas where the devastation was most widespread. Five lineman and one equipment operator traveled south to work with Carteret-Craven Electric Co-op (CCEC).

“CCEC serves one of the areas hit hardest by the storm, with a system-wide power outage and extensive damage throughout their service territory. When REC’s crew headed out Sunday morning, 36,000 of CCEC’s 39,000 meters in four counties (Carteret, Craven, Jones, and Onslow) were without power,” Everhart said.

The REC crew is helping with all aspects of the restoration process, including clearing debris, replacing poles and equipment, and getting power lines back in the air. They’re working nearly around the clock alongside more than 200 linemen from across the state and nation.

Everhart said CCEC reported power restored to about 9,000 of their services as of 9 a.m. Monday morning.

“It takes a focused team of individuals to keep the restoration process going smoothly and ensure the safety of everyone,” she concluded.