ADAM CHAINSAWS FIRED UP. : AND CREWS WORKING TIRELESSLY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON CLEARING BRANCHES AND DEBRIS FROM DOWNE POWER LINES ON DES MOINES EAST SIDE. >> THIS HAS NOT BEEN VERY EASY, ESPECIALLY IN THIS HEAT. ADAM A NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE MANY : OTHERS GOING DAYS WITHOUT POWER. >> MORE THAN I EVER BARGAINED FOR, FOR THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER. ADAM CAROLE STEINGRABE AND HER : HUSBAND SAW MONDAY’S STORM ROLLED IN. MUCH OF THEIR FRONT TREE IS GONE. >> WE’VE MADE THE BEST OUT OF A BAD TIME, I DON’T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY. ADAM WHETHER YOUR POWER IS BACK : OR NOT YOU MIGHT WONDER WHERE UTILITY CREWS CHOOSE TO GO FIRST. MID-AMERICAN SAYS IT FIRST STARTS WITH FACILITIES MOST CRITICAL TO THE COMMUNITY LIKE HOSPITALS, WATER TREATMENT PLANTS, AND SHELTERS, AND THEN CIRCUITS THAT IMPACT MOST CUSTOMERS. >> WE WILL START TO WORK ON THE LARGE TRANSMISSION LINES, THE BACKBONE LINES, SUPERHIGHWAY LINES, WE’LL WORK DOWN TO THE FEEDER LINES AND THEN TH DISTRIBUTION LINES THAT GO TO NEIGHBORHOODS. ADAM AND WHAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE : POWER BUT YOUR NEIGHBOR DOES >> YOU MAY BE ON SEPARATE CIRCUITS, OR IT’S POSSIBLE YOU HAVE SOMETHING BLOCKING, DAMAGED LINES TO YOUR HOUSE. ADAM FOR THE STEINGRABES THEY’RE : JUST HAPPY TO SEE EVERYONE COME TOGETHER AND HELP. >> EVERYBODY WORKING TOGETHER CLEAN UP THE MESS AND EVENTUALLY RESTORE OUR POWER, IS JUST, IT’S HEARTFELT. IT REALLY IS. IT’S JUST AWESOME, AND I’M PROUD TO BE AN IOWAN. ADAM IN DES MOINES, ADAM BROWER, : vlog 8 NEWS, IOWA’S NEWS LEAD
How energy services decide who to restore power to first
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Updated: 10:32 PM CDT Aug 12, 2020
How do power companies decide where to restore power first when so many people are in the dark? MidAmerican said it first starts with facilities most critical to the community, like hospitals, water treatment plants and shelters, and then circuits that impact the most customers. "We will start to work on the large transmission lines, the backbone lines, superhighway lines, we'll work down to the feeder lines and then the distribution lines that go to neighborhoods," said Geoff Greenwood, with MidAmerican Energy. And what if you don't have power, but your neighbor does? "You may be on separate circuits, or it's possible you have something blocking damaged lines to your house," Greenwood said. MidAmerican hopes to restore most customers over the next day, but it's possible some customers may have to wait until the weekend. For the latest on derecho damage, power outages and resources, click here. For information on clean up efforts, click here. For safety tips during a power outage, click here.For information on insurance due to damages from the derecho, click here.
DES MOINES, Iowa — How do power companies decide where to restore power first when so many people are in the dark?
MidAmerican said it first starts with facilities most critical to the community, like hospitals, water treatment plants and shelters, and then circuits that impact the most customers.
"We will start to work on the large transmission lines, the backbone lines, superhighway lines, we'll work down to the feeder lines and then the distribution lines that go to neighborhoods," said Geoff Greenwood, with MidAmerican Energy.
And what if you don't have power, but your neighbor does?
"You may be on separate circuits, or it's possible you have something blocking damaged lines to your house," Greenwood said.
MidAmerican hopes to restore most customers over the next day, but it's possible some customers may have to wait until the weekend.
- For the latest on derecho damage, power outages and resources, click here.
- For information on clean up efforts, click here.
- For safety tips during a power outage, click here.
- For information on insurance due to damages from the derecho, click here.
