Based on deteriorating forecasts as Hurricane Arthur strengthens, Tideland Electric Membership Corporation is calling up additional utility workers to supplement contract crews that arrived earlier in the day to respond to the storm’s aftermath. The latest meteorological reports suggest that Hurricane Arthur may reach Category 2 status as it reaches the Outer Banks. Earlier in the day, Tideland EMC sent additional line crews, trucks and equipment to Ocracoke Island via the Swan Quarter ferry. The co-op also shipped additional utility poles to the island this afternoon aboard the Cedar Island ferry. Mainland contract crews will be staged in Beaufort County overnight and dispatched as needed in the co-op’s six county service territory once damage assessments are complete Friday morning.

Tideland EMC service crews will remain on call throughout the night to respond to outages but all power restoration efforts will halt when weather conditions pose a safety threat to co-op personnel. All Tideland EMC crews and contractors will report for duty early Friday morning and power restoration efforts will resume at 6:00 a.m.

The co-op has no plans to shut power off in advance of the storm and is prepared to run the Ocracoke generator in the event of a prolonged outage. However, the ability of the generator to power the island in an emergency situation will largely depend on electric load. Therefore, Ocracoke residents and guests will have to practice extreme conservation efforts for the generator to successfully energized the island. 

Individuals who depend on electrically powered medical equipment are advised to seek shelter at facilities with emergency generators. Tideland EMC reminds all consumers that back-up generators can be deadly when not properly operated. Never connect a generator to household wiring without a properly installed transfer switch. Never refuel a generator when the engine is running and allow the unit to cool before adding gas. To avoid electrocution or carbon-monoxide poisoning, ground the generator properly and operate in a dry, well ventilated area. Finally, avoid plugging damaged, undersized or ungrounded extension cords into any generator. Always treat downed electric lines as potentially energized.

The public may view power restoration progress via the cooperative’s website, www.tidelandemc.com, which includes a link to Tideland’s outage map and Facebook page. Tideland EMC is a member-owned distribution cooperative serving 22,600 accounts in Hyde, Beaufort, Pamlico, Dare, Washington and Craven counties. We are an equal opportunity service provider and employer.

Editor's note: the bolding of the line about extreme conservation is mine. At the 3pm Emergency Management meeting, Justin Gibbs said that the generator power should be used for fans and refrigeration only, and it will cycle on and off, powering 1/3 of the island at a time.