VMDAEC cooperatives band together after Hurricane Helene
November-December 2024
Storm damage in the Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative area.
A Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative crew replacing a broken utility pole in the Powell Valley Electric Cooperative service area. (photo courtesy MEC)
A NOVEC crew working to restore power in the Powell Valley Electric Cooperative territory. (photo courtesy NOVEC)
by Gregg MacDonald, Staff Writer
On Thursday, Sept. 26, Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, made landfall near Perry, Fla. Its 140 mph winds and resulting storm surges caused power outages, flooding, property destruction and loss of life as it made its way through Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and into Southwest Virginia. According to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, this was the most significant disaster in the commonwealth since 2011.
Once the storm crossed into the VMDAEC members’ service territory, crews from area cooperatives were on call and ready to help those in need. “As an electric cooperative, it gives us a sense of great pride in knowing that our industry is always willing to share resources when another is in need,” says Choptank Electric Cooperative Vice President of Operations Lance Lockerman.
Powell Valley Electric Cooperative’s Tennessee and Southwest Virginia service area was among the first of VMDAEC’s member co-ops to feel Helene’s wrath. “Friday night, we deployed a six-man crew to Powell Valley,” says Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative President and CEO Casey Logan.
“Hurricane Helene caused major damage to our electric grid, with over 712 outages and 90 broken poles, leaving more than 11,000 PVEC members without power,” says PVEC General Manager Brad Coppock. “Fortunately, nearly 40 linemen from our sister cooperatives in the VMDAEC — Northern Neck, NOVEC, Choptank and Mecklenburg — answered the call, working alongside our crews to restore service. The Principle of Cooperation Among Cooperatives shines through in times like these, and PVEC is deeply grateful for the support from our fellow co-ops in Virginia and Maryland.”
In Craig County, Va., a woman was killed as a result of the hurricane, as was a man in Tazewell County, according to the National Weather Service. “What’s special about this storm is that the damage is so widespread. Everywhere we go, there’s so much damage to fix, whether it’s a single outage or a larger one,” says Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative Director of Operations Troy Hall. “We’d like to thank all those who took the time to provide us with mutual aid, [especially] Prince George Electric Cooperative, Davis H. Elliott Inc., NOVEC, Hurst Landworks and Community Electric Cooperative.”
Nearby, in the BARC Electric Cooperative service area, there were nearly 115 individual outages. “We had almost 5,000 members out and received mutual aid from SMECO and CVEC,” says BARC Marketing & Communications Coordinator Amanda Cunningham. “This was a battle for most co-op crews all weekend.”
“At its peak, Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative had about 4,500 members out,” says Communications Manager Preston Knight. “Our crews and contractors carried this to the finish line, which was a big benefit to keep resources in harder-hit areas of Virginia and farther south,” says Martin Driver, manager of SVEC’s system operations. “Our guys are always ready to hit the road to help other co-ops, but we have to think of our members first, and that’s how this storm played out. It’s a big challenge and always leaves you appreciative of the coordinated efforts by those in the field and behind the scenes.”
After getting member co-ops back online, several cooperatives continued working, sending crews to the Carolinas. “It’s a privilege,” says Louis Urbine, Southside Electric Cooperative director of operations, “to be able to play a small part in trying to restore some type of normal to so many who were devastated by this event.”
Hurricane Helene, as seen from the International Space Station on Sept. 26. (photo courtesy NASA)