While scouting the cause of outages today, Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation’s team saw a power line that was hanging dangerously low across the interstate. This posed a serious safety hazard to the drivers on Interstate 40 in Cookeville. Our team contacted the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee Department of Transportation, and PLC Traffic Control to assist with this situation. Thanks to their quick response to the scene, the interstate was shut down for a short time to ensure no vehicles would unknowingly drive into harm’s way. While this was inconvenient for drivers, our focus was clear, safety first.

We work hard to maintain a resilient power distribution system, but it is difficult to prevent outages during an event like a tropical storm. This was an unexpected and tricky situation because the electrical pole was broken about 30 feet above the ground and was dangling causing the power line to hang low. The line was across the interstate in a curve at the bottom of a very steep hill making matters more difficult. Closing the interstate was imperative to the safety of our community.

Our crews worked in the rain and the wind to remove the line, set a new pole, and restore power to the area. We worked with the local phone company and Charter Communications to make sure everything was safe and restored.

We are proud to work alongside the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee Department of Transportation, and PLC Traffic Control, and would like to extend our gratitude for their partnership. We are also proud of our lineman who braved the storm to keep our community safe.

While outages and road closures can be frustrating, we appreciate the patience of those affected. The safety of our communities will always come first. As a reminder, always stay away from downed power lines or damaged electric equipment and report these situations immediately to UCEMC at 1-800-261-2940.

Safety first, always.