Eastside cooperatives assist with West River storm outages
Apr. 20, 2006
Yesterday, 57 workers and 29 trucks from Touchstone Energy Cooperatives in eastern South Dakota headed west to assist the western cooperatives with restoring power after several days of blizzard conditions. Today, additional line crews are heading West River to help replace power lines knocked down by heavy snow and high winds, including local crews from Sioux Valley Energy and East River Electric.
South Dakota Rural Electric Association news release of Wednesday 4 p.m.
Cooperatives Respond to Western Storm
PIERRE – Thirteen cooperatives from across the state are heading west to assist five cooperatives hit by Tuesday night’s blizzard and ice storm.
Five western cooperatives – Black Hills Electric Cooperative in Custer, Butte Electric Cooperative in Newell, Grand Electric Cooperative in Bison, Lacreek Electric Association in Martin and West River Electric Association of Wall – report more than 1,080 poles were downed in the storm, knocking out power to more than 7,950 electric members. By mid-afternoon Wednesday, about 5,250 consumers remained without power.
The damage extends along 1,920 miles of power line at cooperatives from the North Dakota border to the Nebraska border. The cooperatives hit serve more than 26,750 electric cooperative members in 11 counties in western South Dakota.
In addition to the downed poles, cooperatives are reporting numerous line breaks and reports of trees in the lines. Western Area Power Administration is also experiencing transmission line damage which will hamper the cooperatives’ ability to restore power in the Newell area.
Many of the cooperatives sending crews are reciprocating the assistance given by the western cooperatives which sent dozens of workers east for the November 2005 ice storm.
In all, 57 workers and 29 trucks are en route to the western cooperatives as of mid-afternoon Wednesday. Crews are coming from the following cooperatives: Bon Homme Yankton Electric Association in Tabor, Cam Wal Electric Cooperative in Selby, Charles Mix Electric Association in Lake Andes, Cherry-Todd Electric Cooperative in Mission, Dakota Energy Cooperative in Huron, FEM Electric Association in Ipswich, Moreau-Grand Electric Cooperative in Timber Lake, Northern Electric Cooperative in Bath, Oahe Electric Cooperative in Blunt, Rosebud Electric Cooperative in Gregory, Sioux Valley Energy in Colman, Southeastern Electric Cooperative in Marion and West Central Electric Cooperative in Murdo.
Early storm predictions indicate that portions of western South Dakota could receive 24 inches of snow in this blizzard.
The East River Electric Power Cooperative response to assist Newell-based Butte Electric Cooperative: Sending six line workers, one mechanic and 5 trucks Four are from East River's Madison crew, while three are from the Milbank crew. They left mid-morning to assist with distribution system repairs.
Sioux Valley Energy response: Four men and two trucks left yesterday to assist West River Electric Assn. Two men and one truck left today to assist Butte Electric Cooperative in the hard-hit Newell Area, with reports of up to five feet of snow and 70 mph winds toppling power poles. The vehicles include two small bucket trucks and a digger derrick for distribution system repairs.
Eastern electric cooperatives are returning the favor after West River cooperatives and others came to assist with ice storm repairs in eastern South Dakota in late November and early December. Crews are expected to be gone about one week.
