Fredericksburg, Va. — Winter Storm Fern has moved through Rappahannock Electric Cooperative’s service territory with limited impacts. However, extreme cold expected over the next few days could still lead to outages and other disruptions.
“We were very fortunate that conditions were not nearly as bad as we had prepared for, and we appreciate that our member-owners prepared as well,” said Casey Hollins, REC’s managing director of communications and public relations. “But we also want to urge our member-owners not to let their guard down and to remain prepared for the cold days ahead.”
REC will continue monitoring conditions and is prepared to respond if members experience power outages.
As part of its preparation for Winter Storm Fern, REC pre-staged response crews and equipment and requested additional crews from across the country. Crews came from electric cooperatives as far away as Minnesota.
“The rural electric cooperative community really pulled together for Winter Storm Fern,” said Hollins. “Although this storm didn’t bring disastrous effects, we were confident, with the help of our fellow cooperatives, that we were ready. We really appreciate the linemen and all personnel who took time away from their families and homes to be here for us.”
REC offers a number of informational resources on its website to help member-owners prepare for outages safely:
- REC’s winter outage-preparation and safety resources: https://www.myrec.coop/stormprep
- Storm safety tips: https://www.myrec.coop/storm-safety
- Generator safety: https://www.myrec.coop/generatorsafety
If an outage occurs, members can report it in several ways:
- Text OUT to 63273
- Report online at https://www.myrec.coop/out or through the MyREC SmartHub mobile app
- Call 800-552-3904
Members can also track outages, report outages, and find additional updates by visiting REC’s Outage Center: https://www.myrec.coop/outagecenter
About Rappahannock Electric Cooperative
Serving over 184,000 connections across portions of 22 Virginia counties, REC is a pillar in its communities, with over 18,000 miles of power lines extending from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay. For more information about REC, please visit www.myrec.coop. Follow REC on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
