When there is extensive or widespread damage, there are too many variables at play for us to estimate when we’ll be in specific locations.
Here’s how the power restoration process works in such a situation:
Right after a storm hits, we begin assessing the damage based on a combination of remote monitoring and customer calls. However, it is not uncommon for us to find, when our crews arrive at a location to repair the damage, that the scope of damage is not exactly what was expected.
Not knowing the exact scope of work needed until we arrive on the scene is the primary reason we are not able to estimate the time it will take to get to specific locations. So, if you can see anything unusual, like a tree down on a line, and you can give us that information and location when you call, it is helpful.
Additionally, following large storms, with thousands of damaged locations, new damage being reported daily, and the changing scope of work and conditions, there is simply not a reliable way to predict when we’ll reach certain areas. For example, we may reach an area only to find out we will need a boat to reach a span of wire or that there are massive trees down in our way.
However, when the extent of power outage warrants it, our crews do work 24/7 to restore power. And they don't stop working until everyone is back on.