LCEC – Lee County Electric Cooperative

Frequently Asked Questions About Restoration

LCEC doesn’t turn off the power

LCEC does not disconnect power before a storm. Mother Nature runs her course, and workers begin to restore power to impacted areas once winds are at a safe level to work.

If you are the only one on the street with no power

Check all circuit breakers by resetting them. If your breakers aren’t the problem, one of the following situations may have occurred:

1. You may be on a different feeder line or a different transformer may serve your location.
2. The transformer serving your location may be damaged. These are the last system devices to be repaired because resources are focused on restoring the greatest number of customers first.
3. Your weather head conduit (the pipe and wire extending above your roof) is damaged or bent. If so, you must have an electrician repair it and have an inspection before power can be restored.
4. 4. You own your own underground service and it may be damaged. If so, you must have it repaired by an electrician and inspected before power can be restored.

The exact date/time of restoration is unpredictable.

There are many factors that make it difficult to determine the exact time it takes to repair damage from major disasters. The location, ease of access and extent of the damage is different in every scenario. Depending on the situation, hundreds if not thousands of people work as quickly and safely as possible to restore power to all customers; and they don’t stop until the job is done.

What areas are restored first?

Utilities work to restore the largest number of customers the quickest. All LCEC communities within the six-county service territory are important to us. Restoration priorities are as follows:

Even if you don’t see trucks in your neighborhood, LCEC is working to restore power.

After the damage is assessed, crews will work on the main circuits first. Crews are then dispatched to make repairs in multiple locations along electric lines so that they can work their way into neighborhoods.

Debris pickup

As power restoration takes place after a hurricane, cleaning up utility debris and follow-up begins. An LCEC team, supported by debris-removal vendors, will span the electric system to gather and dispose of utility materials such as poles, wire, transformers, and insulators that may have been left behind during restoration. The impact of the storm may cover a vast area, so cleanup could take some time to complete.

If LCEC damaged your property, please notify us and we will process your claim appropriately. Again, the time frame has not been determined, and we ask your patience.