10 Things You Might Not Know About Power Restoration
When the power goes out, we all want it back on—fast. We’re used to flipping a switch and having instant electricity, so when that doesn’t happen, it’s frustrating. As CEO of JOEMC, I understand how important reliable power is to your daily life.
That’s why I want to share a behind-the-scenes look at our power restoration process. Here are 10 things you might not know:
- We may not know unless you tell us. Let us know if you’re experiencing an outage. It helps us identify isolated issues. Please report it through joemc.com/outage-hub or call 910-353-1940.
- Our employees are affected too. JOEMC employees live in the same communities we serve. When you’re without power, there’s a good chance we are too.
- It’s a full team effort. From taking calls to clearing trees and repairing lines, every department works together to restore power safely and quickly.
- We assess before we fix. Our crews first evaluate the damage to make a plan and gather the right tools and materials.
- Safety and numbers guide our response. We restore power first to emergency services, then to areas where we can bring the most members back on at once.
- Working conditions can be dangerous. Crews face hazards like high voltage, severe weather, and traffic. Please slow down if you see a utility vehicle on the road.
- Blinking lights can be a good sign. Brief flickers often mean our system prevented a bigger outage, usually caused by a tree limb or animal contact.
- Back-up plans are essential. If you depend on electricity for medical needs, make sure you have a backup plan. Contact us—we’ll help however we can.
- Our crews need to take breaks too. If you see trucks parked during an outage, crews may be planning their next move or grabbing a quick bite between long shifts.
- Sometimes, we’re waiting too. If the issue starts with another utility that feeds our system, we must wait for them to make repairs before we can restore your service.
Outages are never convenient but know that your cooperative is working around the clock to get the lights back on as quickly and safely as possible.
