Crews assess storm damage, restore substations while TVA works to reconnect lines

Utility officials said crews continue to assess storm damage across the system and inventory broken poles, and have begun restoration work on three-phase lines as conditions allow.

Officials said they are focusing on restoring critical infrastructure and substations, and that crews are currently working at the Sardis Lake, College Hill and Industrial Park substations. From those locations, restoration must continue pole by pole, the utility said.

The utility said it is waiting on the Tennessee Valley Authority to restore transmission lines to the West Oxford substation, which serves areas from Oxford to Batesville, and to the Taylor substation, which serves areas from Oxford to Water Valley through Taylor. The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federal power authority that oversees regional transmission and provides electricity in the Tennessee Valley region.

Contract crews are on site, additional crews are expected to arrive tomorrow, and mutual aid from other electric cooperatives will continue throughout the week, the utility said. Officials warned the work is dangerous and said safety for crews and the public must come first. Restoration will be slow and gradual, and power may not be restored within the timeframe members expect. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.