Nobody relaxes until the job is done

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Major weather events, the kind that knock out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses across the state, can occur at any time and in any season. A fierce winter storm can be every bit as damaging to the power grid as a major hurricane, and that fact requires South Carolina’s not-for-profit electric cooperatives to stay prepared for anything on a daily basis.

With the arrival of spring, we don’t have to worry about ice damage for a while, but we are approaching the start of the 2019 Hurricane Season (June 1 to Nov. 30). It seems like a good time to reflect on the restoration process co-ops follow in the aftermath of catastrophic weather. As a case study, let’s consider how co-op line crews responded to Hurricane Matthew when the Category 5 storm hit the Palmetto State in October 2016, knocking out power to more than 400,000 homes and businesses.  

Even before the winds died down, co-ops had crews, trucks and equipment ready to roll the moment it was safe to do so. Problem:  Matthew turned city streets into rivers, washed out massive chunks of rural highways and toppled bridges. Just getting to the damaged power poles, lines and transformers was a major hurdle, says Peggy Dantzler, vice president of loss control and training for The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina.

During Matthew, it was her job to coordinate the cooperative repair efforts with state and federal agencies, local first responders and private disaster relief services, an impressive community of helpers all focused on a common goal: getting life back to normal. The complex coordination of all these agencies is “like a ballet to me,” says Dantzler. “It’s through the collective efforts during storms that we really shine.”

Job 1 after Matthew passed was activating the Emergency Support Functions (ESFs), including the National Guard, Highway Patrol and local police escorts to get utility trucks where they needed to go. Before Tri-County Electric Cooperative crews could begin their restoration work, the National Guard and local law enforcement had to clear a path through the fallen trees and traffic jams of returning storm evacuees that choked off Hwy. 176 for miles. 

Berkeley Electric Cooperative relied on the National Guard’s tactical ability to roll over or remove almost any physical barrier to clear the way for a massive tracked vehicle called a “Marsh Master” that allowed lineworkers to repair or replace downed utility poles in flooded areas.

“When you have a large piece of equipment like the Marsh Master, you have to coordinate traffic with law enforcement and ensure the integrity of roads and bridges with the Department of Transportation to safely move it around,” Dantzler says.

The Highway Patrol set up a rolling roadblock on I-95 so Edisto Electric Cooperative linemen could safely raise a power line that had fallen across both sides of the highway near mile marker 71, just between Grover and Canadys. And in Beaufort County, one of the hardest hit areas, law enforcement officers escorted Palmetto Electric Cooperative trucks through standstill traffic as residents who had evacuated Hilton Head tried to return in droves. Once the crews arrived on the island, National Guard troops and Department of Transportation officials helped them maneuver around the debris-strewn streets to make repairs.

These are just some of the examples of how cooperative line crews work together with multiple agencies to serve our neighbors in the worst of times. Every step of the storm-recovery process involves careful communication and coordination to make sure the teams restore power quickly and safely.

“The importance of keeping the crews safe and moving forward is especially critical after a big storm,” Dantzler says. “Nobody relaxes until the job is done.” 

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Are you prepared? Get ready for major weather events with the tips and resources at SCLiving.coop/storm-center.