As Hurricane Helene approaches the coast of Florida, we are again facing the impact of a major storm. Even though the storm is predicted to move west of us, due to the size and scope of this storm, we are preparing for a significant outage event. The width of Helene is over 800 miles, so there will be local impacts. Our area is at a high risk of tornadoes, so we ask for everyone’s vigilance. Tornado warnings leave very little time to take shelter, so we advise our members to make sure they are able to hear their mobile devices throughout the next 24-36 hours.
Helene will likely cause trees and other debris to come into contact with our power lines. It is important to treat all downed power lines and equipment as if they’re “hot”. This means staying completely clear of any area in which you see our equipment damaged. Your safety and that of our employees is paramount.
It appears that Helene’s worst impact will be overnight Thursday. We are planning to work outages as normal as long as conditions allow. Once the wind has decreased to an acceptable level, we will assess the situation and begin work to restore outages.
The members of Canoochee EMC have shown incredible support to our employees through major storms in the past, and we are very appreciative of the good will you’ve shown us. We’ll continue to work hard for each of you to earn this support. God Bless you and stay safe.