Lucas Tree at work in the wake of Hurricane Michael. Photo by Robbie Rouse.

Whereas members south of the Pamlico River were hardest hit by Hurricane Florence, the reverse was true when the remnants of Hurricane Michael blew through Tideland territory on October 11.

Nearly 8,000 members lost power during the latter event with damage heaviest in Pungo, Sidney, Pamlico Beach, Swan Quarter, Ponzer and Sladesville. High water delayed power restoration to Stumpy Point during the overnight hours.

In preparation for Michael, Tideland pre-staged additional personnel in local hotels on October 10. The extra workforce of tree trimmers and line construction crews consisted of 51 personnel.

Winds began to impact Tideland service areas the following afternoon, with outages peaking around 10 pm. By 3:30 am, Friday, October 12, the outage total fell to 1,400 as crews worked through the night.

By 11 am, fewer than 90 members remained without power. Full power restoration was achieved a few hours later.

By 11 am, fewer than 90 members remained without power. Full power restoration was achieved a few hours later.

After a weekend of rest, Tideland crews returned their attention to Hurricane Florence’s long-term recovery efforts. The ongoing work included debris removal, a steady stream of reconnects as flood damaged homes continued to come back on line, and attend to the everyday rigors of utility system maintenance and service. Adding to the daily workload have been continuing failures of underground infrastructure impacted by the salty flood waters of Hurricane Florence.