Winter Storm Fern wasn’t playing! The storm wreaked havoc on the Tidewater region, causing more than 4,000 power outages on Community Electric Cooperative’s distribution system alone. Literally thousands of trees and tree limbs gave way under the ice and freezing rain, bringing down scores of power lines and several utility poles.
Power was restored to the vast majority of homes within 48 hours, with all CEC’s members restored within 72 hours, thanks to the hard work of CEC linemen and line workers from three other Virginia co-ops that sent help. Still, the event was a harsh reminder that, in the words of The Smithfield Times editorial page, “(T)his weekend was proof that it’s better to be overprepared than underprepared.”
That’s where a standby power generator comes in. A whole home generator provides security and confidence that your lights will stay on, your appliances will run, and your home electronics will remain charged, no matter what Mother Nature is throwing at us. During extended outages, a standby generator also can save you literally hundreds of dollars from food spoiling, unavoidable hotel stays or other issues caused by such a hardship.
If this winter’s weather has persuaded you that it’s time to be better prepared, the RECORE energy solutions team is ready to help you identify the generator that best suits your needs.
History shows that significant weather events affecting the Tidewater region are sporadic in their frequency. But they obviously do occur and can be serious enough to put lives at risk. Fifteen years ago, the “Blizzard after Christmas” dumped roughly 15 inches of snow on the region. Last February, Suffolk recorded seven inches of snow from a winter blast, while outlying communities received even more. And sandwiched in between those two events were a pair of January storms in 2018 and 2022 that each dropped about a foot of snow on the region.
Recent non-winter storms, of course, include Tropical Storm Debby last August, hurricanes Hermine and Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Irene in 2011.
For those parents who don’t want to have their family’s well-being dependent upon the whims and severity of the weather, home generators offer a comforting alternative. Perhaps most importantly, they keep medical equipment operating for people, young and old, with challenging health conditions.
Members of Community Electric Cooperative, as always, receive 10 percent discounts on RECORE purchases, so don’t hesitate to reach out if a home generator is a backup power solution that you’re considering.
Sooner or later, Mother Nature is bound to strike again!
