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Wesley Norris of Laurens Electric Cooperative repairs a line on Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022.
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The co-op spirit
During storms, S.C. electric cooperatives support one another. Watch as Berkeley Electric Cooperative repair crews mobilize to assist Blue Ridge Electric.
Video from Berkeley Electric Cooperative
Long before the wintry precipitation ended, power crews were out working to get the lights back on as safely and quickly as possible.
The northern Midlands and Upstate were the hardest hit areas as snow, freezing rain and high winds caused numerous trees and branches to fall on power lines.
At the height of the storm on Sunday, 50,000 electric cooperative members were without power. Since then, the number of homes still in the dark has dramatically improved. Click here to track the state of outage repairs.
Here's a look at how crews from in state and out of state are helping affected electric co-ops:
Black River Electric Cooperative (Sumter, S.C.) is receiving assistance from Tri-County Electric Cooperative (St. Matthews, S.C.) and Edisto Electric Cooperative (Bamberg, S.C.)
Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative is receiving out-of-state assistance from C&L Electric Cooperative (Star City, Arkansas) and in-state assistance from Berkeley Electric Cooperative (Moncks Corner, S.C.) and York Electric Cooperative (York, S.C.)
Broad River Electric Cooperative (Gaffney, S.C.) is receiving out-of-state assistance from Escambia River Electric Cooperative (Jay, Florida)
Fairfield Electric Cooperative (Blythewood, S.C.) is receiving assistance from Aiken Electric Cooperative (Aiken, S.C.)
Laurens Electric Cooperative (Laurens, S.C.) is receiving out-of-state assistance from Jeff Davis Electric Cooperative (Jennings, Lousiana), Beauregard Electric Cooperative (DeRidder, Louisiana) and DEMCO Electric Cooperative (Greenwell Springs, Louisiana)
Little River Electric Cooperative (Abbeville, S.C.) is receiving assistance from Aiken Electric Cooperative (Aiken, S.C.)
Lynches River Electric Cooperative (Pageland, S.C.) is receiving assistance from Horry Electric Cooperative (Conway, S.C.), Santee Electric Cooperative (Kingstree, S.C.) and Williams Electric Cooperative (Shelby, N.C.)
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Related Stories
ECSC outage map—Use this online tool to track power outages and the progress of repairs throughout the S.C. electric cooperative system.
Report a power outage—If you see downed power lines or your home experiences a power outage, use this directory to report it to your local electric cooperative. Don’t assume another member has called.
Stay away from downed power lines—The storm may be over, but that doesn’t mean the danger has passed. Downed power lines always pose a risk of serious injury or death.
Generator safety—Learn how to protect the lives of your family and the co-op’s line crews when using portable and permanent generators in the aftermath of a storm.
Restoring your power after a storm—When a major storm hits, electric co-op lineworkers swing into action to repair power outages. Learn how they safely restore power to the greatest number of customers in the shortest time possible.
Food safety tips during a power outage—Storm-induced power outages can take you by surprise. If you’ve lost power and have a refrigerator full of food, make sure time and temperatures are on your side
How you can help in an emergency—After a storm, your local electric cooperative is committed to restoring your power as quickly and as safely as possible. For those who want to help in that effort, here are some do’s and don’ts to keep everyone—the public and the repair crews—safe.