Good riddance

For some residents of Rappahannock County it took an entire week to get their electricity turned back on, but hats were off to crews from Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) and more than 200 additional linemen from six other states — 27 co-ops in all — who worked around the clock to restore power after the powerful Nor’easter dubbed Riley blew across the Blue Ridge two weeks ago and outened the lights.

“We know this was difficult,” said Robbie Beard, manager of REC’s western region that includes Rappahannock. “Whether members were offline for a day or a week, going without electricity is more than an inconvenience.

It’s unsettling. We greatly appreciate members’ patience as the guys worked nonstop through challenging terrain to rebuild much of REC’s infrastructure.

“We’re grateful not only to REC’s line workers, but also to all the crews who came from other parts of Virginia and six other states to help us get members reconnected,” Beard said.

As for storm facts: REC crews replaced more than 350 broken poles that snapped in two from the hurricane force winds; more than 71,000 REC members experienced a power outage (including a majority of Rappahannock County) although over 112,000 power outages were restored because some members experienced repeat outages; and thousands of trees in Rappahannock County came crashing down, mainly pines.