PEC has the lights back on

UPDATE: Feb. 2– Pickwick Electric Cooperative now says power has been fully restored across its multi-county service area.

Feb. 1– Pickwick Electric Cooperative is reporting about 1,000 customers still without power this morning as a result of Friday’s ice storm.

Approximately 8,000 customers were affected, according to PEC spokesman Beverly Lambert, who said all power is expected to be restored by Thursday afternoon or evening.

PEC employees were dispatched immediately and worked continuously through the weekend, she said.

Staff from Tennessee Valley Electric Cooperative, Gibson Electric Member Corporation and Mississippi electric assisted PEC with repairing the damage.

Lambert said only 12 poles were downed, and most of the outage was the result of ice-loaded limbs and trees falling on power lines.

TVEC General Manager Jerry Taylor said no poles were felled in TVEC’s Hardin and Wayne county service areas.