Duke Progress and both electric co-operatives serving Columbus County have crews on standby as severe storms cross the area today.
Brunswick and Four County EMC have both upgraded their infrastructure in the wake of hurricanes Matthew and Florence to be better prepared for severe storm conditions. BEMC has also buried more than half of its 7,000 miles of lines in recent years to prevent damage from trees and flying debris.
BEMC and Four County are making updates available in real time on social media.
Heavy rains in recent weeks have led to saturated soil, increasing the likelihood of falling trees knocking down power lines and damaging poles. All three power companies emphasized that any power line on the ground should be considered live.
All BEMC offices will be closed this afternoon after 1 p.m., and reopen during regulat business hours tomorrow.
“We know how important power is to our members and we will do everything possible to keep outages to an absolute minimum,” said Josh Winslow, CEO of Brunswick EMC. “We are prepared and ready to respond with the full strength of our resources.”
BEMC members are encouraged to visit https://www.bemc.org/storm-checklist/ for information on how to prepare for severe weather.
Visit bemc.org and follow BEMC on Facebook for storm updates.
