Electric Coop Works to Restore Power

One day of snow and wind could mean several days worth of cleanup That s the challenge ahead for many North Dakota power companies Dan Erdmann explains how Verendrye Electric Cooperative is working to restore power to hundreds of customers Dan Kudrna Verendrye Operations Supervisor This was totally unexpected we had no clue this was happening Dan Erdmann KX News But yesterday s fury of ice and snow is one surprise that will keep Verendrye Electric Operations Supervisor Dan Kudrna and dozens of crew members busy for the next several days and possibly weeks Dan Erdmann KX News As the storm began yesterday morning heavy falling snow and wind coupled to create a recipe for disaster along the Verendrye power grid Dan Kudrna Verendrye Operations Supervisor The snow was actually sticking to the line and forming as ice and with the strong north winds it was causing problems on the East-West lines Tom Rafferty Verendrye Community Relations Manager A lot of poles have been snapped mainly on the tops of them We know that there s over 100 poles that are broken in some way or another We don t know the exact number right now we re still assessing the damage Dan Erdmann KX News Verendrye Community Relations Manager Tom Rafferty says the Drake-Anamoose area was one of the coop s hardest hit locations with over 350 homes without power last night As of this morning that number had decreased to just under 300 Dan Kudrna Verendrye Operations Supervisor We still have probably 80 that have been out are still out but hopefully today we re going to get a good portion of that on Dan Erdmann KX News Accomplishing that task requires a lot of help In addition to Verendrye s 20 plus lineman out on the job around a dozen crew members from neighboring electric coops have traveled to the area to lend a hand But as snow quickly turned to mud under a warm sun some of today s biggest help came from Verendrye customers themselves Tom Rafferty Verendrye Community Relations Manager You can see the farmer comes out with the tractor pulling our trucks through the mud and other coops have pitched in so it truly is an amazing effort among everybody working together Dan Erdmann KX News Despite the added effort Kudrna and Rafferty say restoring power to every coop member will take time and that means working through the Easter holiday for many of these workers Employees at the Verendrye office will also be keeping a watchful eye over their power grid hoping to see more and more transmission lines returning to their normal shades of color Tom Rafferty Verendrye Community Relations Manager It could be a couple days for some people unfortunately but we appreciate all the patience Dan Erdmann KX News And when the lights are on once again Rafferty says the long task of cleaning up the mess will begin Near Anamoose Dan Erdmann KX News Verendrye Electric says it s important to avoid any downed power lines and be sure to report any safety concerns to their office