NES Update 1/27 am

[Cash, Thomas (Council Member)]

Neighbors- Below is the latest update from NES. I know this storm and the outages have been catastrophic and we all want to know when power will be restored. I am sharing outage information with NES, pushing them to restore power to our area as quickly as possible. I’m getting broad updates about their work as in the update below, but not about specific areas and sites. I’ll continue to ask for help and post updates here. I’ve canvassed all primary and secondary roads and many neighborhood streets and reported  downed trees and limbs blocking roadways and ROW to NDOT. Continue to use this group to post specific problems, concerns and details, both good and bad. I appreciate the many folks checking in on neighbors. Stay safe!

Tom 

NES teams worked overnight to make repairs and restore power to customers after freezing rain and ice impacted the NES service territory and have restored power to 104,000 customers. NES and contracted lineworkers will continue operations in rotations, and they will remain on extended 14–16‑hour shifts to ensure we can continue responding quickly. To ensure the safety of our lineworkers, it is against NES policy to disclose locations where teams are working in the field.

 

Right now:

• there are about 130,000 customers currently without power
• at least 189 broken poles have been reported across our service area

 

NES will deploy more than 740 lineworkers across the service area this morning and will add more throughout the day. Vegetation management teams and supplemental contract teams have been deployed to complement our restoration efforts and ensure lineworkers can continue reaching their sites efficiently.

 

NES restores power by tackling areas affecting the largest number of customers first. We understand being without power is difficult, especially when conditions outside are extreme. Regardless of where a customer lives, all of our customer base is important, and our lineworkers are working hard to restore power to every last customer. No one will be forgotten or left behind; however, utility prioritization practices are to restore the greatest number of customers first.

 

NES asks that customers ensure their homes are ready to receive power. If weatherheads, power masts, or meter bases are damaged, our lineworkers cannot safely reconnect power. NES maintains and repairs the lines leading to a customer’s home, but homeowners are responsible for the equipment on the house. If home equipment repairs need to be made, we strongly suggest contacting a licensed electrician for those repairs.

Along with city officials, NES also continues to ask for the community’s help. If your power is out, do not call 911. We need to keep those lines open for emergencies. But if you see a downed power line, that is an emergency, so that is when it is appropriate to call 911. We ask that everyone stay away from downed power lines, and to always assume they are live and dangerous.

 

How to Stay Updated

• If you are without power, please report it by texting OUT to 637797 (NESPWR) from the phone number linked to your account, or by calling (615) 234‑0000.
• NES will share restoration information on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook throughout the event.

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