***TWO SUBSTATIONS REMAIN OFFLINE; 450 POLES BROKEN***

***TWO SUBSTATIONS REMAIN OFFLINE; 450 POLES BROKEN***
PICKENS, South Carolina — Two of the 13 substations that lost transmission service remain offline Monday due to severe damage.

Overnight, Duke Energy made progress on the transmission lines that remain out and energize approximately 3,500 members serviced by the Cross Roads and Tygerville substations. Substations to the Bountyland, Corinth, Newry, Six Mile, Dacusville, Gap Hill, Enon, Landrum, Liberty, Marietta and Pleasant Ridge communities are online, but more work must be done for all members to have power. Now, broken poles must be replaced and lines hung to get power from these substations to homes.

“We are moving in the right direction,” Senior Vice President of Engineering and Operations Mark Waters said. “This will be a slow process, but having service restored back to our substations is very important.”

Field workers have confirmed over 450 broken poles across our five-county service area that spans 1,900 square miles. Blue Ridge replaced 180 new poles in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in 2017 and 215 new poles in 2020 when an EF3 tornado hit Seneca and surrounding communities.

On average, it takes a four-man crew about 3-4 hours to replace one broken pole. Replacing three poles over a 12-hour shift is a full day’s work for a single crew. Replacing four is a feat in these circumstances. These are not simple repairs.

Thank you for reiterating to your audiences and constituents that this damage is unlike any we have ever seen in the Upstate.

EMERGENCY SHELTERS
Anderson County: Two medical needs shelters are open 24 hours a day. Call 1-855-472-3432 for more information.

Oconee County: College Street Baptist at 401 S. College Street is staffed until Tuesday at this point.

Pickens County: The American Red Cross has staffed a shelter at 325 Saco Lowell Road, located at Glenwood Baptist Church in Easley, which is open 24 hours a day.