Keeping the Power Flowing
June 23rd started off as a normal Sunday in early Summer for Union County Electric Cooperative. Our members on the northern end of our service territory along the Big Sioux River were already being impacted by flooding. We expected the Jefferson area would be impacted throughout the day. However, the flood waters rose much faster and more widespread than what we had seen before. By Sunday evening, much of our underground equipment in the Jefferson area was several feet below water. At just before 6pm, a piece of underground equipment failed, causing several members to lose power as they were trying to keep their homes and basements dry from the flood waters.
I’ve never asked a lineman if they can swim during an interview, but I might need to update my criteria going forward. It’s not very often that a lineman gets to do their line patrol in a boat, but that’s what we did. Crews tried their best to get service back on for everyone that night. However, troubleshooting a piece of electrical equipment that is at least 4 feet underwater is simply impossible. After making several attempts to back feed the line, we couldn’t get the system to hold. By 10pm, with water in the Jefferson area still rising and darkness setting in, the conditions were simply too dangerous for our linemen to continue. Unfortunately, that meant a handful of members would remain without power through the night. We notified as many of those individuals as possible, so they knew what to expect in the coming hours.
As the sun came up on Monday morning, the staff was ready to get those last few members back on. With the heat approaching triple digits and oppressive humidity, the guys grabbed their equipment and as many sets of waders as we could find. After ensuring the flooded roads were safe for our crews, we got back to work. By creating a temporary tie to bypass the failed equipment, the line crew was able to restore service to all members whose homes remained above water.
Over the next several days we slowly began to get the system back to normal as the water started to recede. We then began the tedious process of inspecting every piece of equipment that was affected by the flood waters. This flood impacted the entire eastern side of our system. This area extends from approximately 6 miles north of Akron, IA to the northern edge of North Sioux City. Roughly 54 square miles of our system were directly impacted by this event.
I can’t brag enough about the staff we have. Our linecrew is made up of guys who are hardworking and dedicated employees. They just find a way to get things done, no matter the circumstances. Our office staff does a great job keeping tabs on all the material, time, equipment and miles. This is often the unsung group behind the scenes making sure everything is accounted for and paid for. Our electricians are always trying to help our members. As people recover and get back into their properties, they will be available to replace and rewire damaged electrical equipment.
On behalf of the employee group, thank you for the support, patience and kind words over the past month.
Until next month, stay safe and God bless.
Quote of the Month: “It always seems impossible until it’s done” – Nelson Mandela, 1st President of South Africa