4-County linemen work extra hours to restore power
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – With the recent wave of storms over the past few weeks, utility companies like 4 County have had all hands on deck.
The frequent power outages have required extra crews, more supplies, and longer hours.
From replacing transformers to fixing poles, 4 County Electric has been busy this storm season. The company said the storms have been stronger than they expected.
“The regularity of the storms is a little out of the ordinary, so it’s been tough in terms of manpower. Guys get tired. It’s a lot of stress being away from family. Every other night, you’re getting the call. Every other weekend, you’re getting the call,” said Jon Turner, the Manager of Marketing and Public Relations for 4-County.
4 County Electric Power Association supplies power in 9 counties across Northeast Mississippi.
Because they serve such a wide territory, Jon Turner with 4 County said they must be prepared.
“We always try to make sure we have a little extra for situations like storms, those strange things when you’ve got five or six broken poles, and you’ve got to replace that and you weren’t expecting to,” said Turner.
If supplies like poles or transformers run out, Turner said they can call on nearby electric co-ops for help.
Restoration time depends on the weather and the extent of the damage.
“Each thing is different. It always depends on what kind of transformer and how big a pole. And can you get the equipment to where you need to? Is it raining? Is it dark? Is it the middle of the night?” said Turner.
Safety comes first when linemen are sent out for repairs.
Turner said smaller fixes may only take an hour, but major repairs can take days.
Linemen have been putting in extra hours to get power back on as soon as possible.
In some cases, if the job isn’t completed by midnight, workers come back out at the break of dawn to finish restoring power.
