*RESTORATION UPDATE: Morning of May 4, 2017*

In southwest Kansas, it is a sin to curse the rain. However, yesterday’s moisture took its toll on our restoration process. Muddy roads and ditches are causing restoration efforts to take two to three times longer than expected. In some places, we have bulldozers pulling bucket trucks through a foot of mud. As crews battle the elements, we have uncovered more damage caused by the storm. We estimate the number of downed poles to still be approximately 2,000. This has caused us to seek the help of additional crews from Missouri.

Crews working across our service territory have digger trucks, bucket trucks and bulldozers stuck in the mud. This is slowing down the restoration process. With the muddy conditions, it is taking our crews two to three times longer to maintain and restore power. As we transition to the afternoon we are finding more and more downed poles in our system; we are now estimating that we have approximately 2,000 downed poles.

As our crews dig deeper into areas affected by outages, we are beginning to learn more about the devastation caused by this weekend’s storm. We’ve learned that southwest Kearny and southeast Hamilton counties were completely crippled by this weekend’s storm. We will not be able to address the needs of this area until the arrival of additional line crews and materials. Unfortunately, restoration in this area may take up to 10 days.

We encourage our members to please be safe and continue to report any downed poles and outages to 888-551-4140 or 620-424-4612

Ulysses, KS – May 3, 2017 – Additional crews from neighboring cooperatives and area contractors were brought to help with the restoration of downed poles. With their support, the number of downed meters was reduced to 3,000. We estimate that there are still over 1,000 poles down at this time. Please note, that it may be a week before remote meters are restored.  If your power has been restored, please remain vigilant! If you lose electrical service, you will need to call either 888-551-4140 or 620-424-4612 and report the outage.

“Progress is moving along and we are thankful for the support from our neighboring cooperatives,” said Pioneer Electric CEO, Steve Epperson. “It is a testament to the bond shared between cooperatives and lineman. Words cannot express how thankful we are for their assistance in our restoration process!”

Pioneer Electric received many inquiries regarding the use of generators and encouraged members to be extra cautious while using them.

“Please be cautions when using a generator,” said Epperson. “It is imperative that members have generators correctly installed. Improper use of a generator may cause back feeding and electrocute lineman working on the line. Never hook a generator directly into your home’s electrical system and be sure to consult a certified electrician to properly install your generator for use.”

Crews and employees were humbled by the generosity of our local communities. Snacks, drinks and meals quickly filled the basement of Pioneer Electric, bringing smiles to tired faces. A cooperative is shaped by the members and communities it serves and we are honored to be able to serve southwest Kansas. We are humbled by the support received throughout the restoration process. Every act of kindness, prayer and “thank you” inspires us to push forward.

For updates regarding the restoration process, members can follow Pioneer Electric on Facebook.