Mid-Missouri linemen restoring power in snow, muddy conditions in southern Missouri

Eight linemen from Columbia-based Boone Electric Cooperative are making significant progress, as they continue to restore power this (Friday) morning in storm-damaged southeast Missouri.

Towns like Fredericktown, which is south of Farmington, received about ten inches of snow on Wednesday. That heavy, wet snow caused trees to fall into lines, knocking power out. At one time, about 14,000 customers of Fredericktown-based Black River Electric Cooperative were without power. That number is now down to 2,600 as of 8:45 this morning, thanks to the work of Boone Electric and other cooperatives doing mutual aid.

Utility crews from Linn and Tipton-based rural electric cooperatives are also assisting in power restoration in southern Missouri. They, like Boone Electric crews, have been working in snow and mud. Crews from Tipton-based Co-Mo Electric are working in the West Plains area, where about 4,700 customers of Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative are still without power. That’s down from 11,000 on Wednesday.

The linemen have been working day and night to restore power.