MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Crews from Mon Power continue battling weather and conditions on the ground to restore power. Mon Power spokesperson Hannah Catlett said at the peak 22,000 customers statewide were without power.
“Crews are really working tirelessly to restore service quickly and safely,” Catlett said. ” We do believe we’ll be able to restore the majority of customers by the end of the day today (12/24).”
In a post on social media Mon Power offered automated ways to track progress,” Additional outages are possible as high winds are expected to continue into the night, especially along ridgetops. We will provide restoration updates for specific locations as they become available on our outage map. You can also text STAT to 544487 for an update for your residence.”
Catlett said the flash freeze initially made it difficult to road bucket trucks and equipment, but sustained winds have been a major cause of power outages.
“The weather has not only made it hard on crews physically, but it also continues to cause more outages,” Catlett said. “So, our teams think they’re making headway and then more work is added which can obviously be frustrating, but they are committed to getting the power back on.”
The line crews will continue working around the clock to restore service despite bitter cold and high wind.
“They’re fighting the possibility of frostbite, so they have to take extra breaks,” Catlett said. ” They’re limited as to what they can do out there because it is so cold and windy.”