April 2010 Storm

Thank you, members,for your cooperation in helping restore the system after the April storm.

Facts on the April storm:

Mor-Gran-Sou needs Federal aid to keep the Cooperative viable.
Lineworkersput in 14-16 hour days to restore power.
Damage to both transmission and distribution lines included approximately 12,000 downed or damaged poles.
There were approximately 600 miles of downed power line, mostly the east/west lines.
To put the damage in perspective, the amount of downed power line could almost stretch from Mandan, ND to Cheyenne, WY.
Approximately 20-22 poles make up one mile of distribution line, depending on the terrain.
Estimated all-inclusive cost of each pole - including labor, gas and supplies, ranges from $3,000 to $3,500.
Estimated cost to repair the system isanywhere from $30 to $35 million: that amount isonly to bring the lights back on - it doesn't fix everything else that was damaged.
President Barack Obama declared a federal disaster for ND counties to help rural electric cooperatives, municipalities and tribal jurisdiction recover costs associated with the Easter weekend storm.
The Presidential Disaster Declaration will cover 75 percent of the eligible costs resulting from the storm, with the State covering 10 percent of those costs. The remaining 15 percent will have to be shored up byaffected RECs.
Safety is the #1 priority for line crews, contractor crews,and the member-consumers.
Mor-Gran-Sou's members should expect more brief outages in the coming weeks and months as line crews and contractors continue working on rebuilding and stabilizing the system.
It will take line crews the better part of the year to strengthen and return the system to its former condition.
Mor-Gran-Sou appreciates member's continued patience in this undertaking. THANK YOU!!

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The April 2nd storm in pictures & video:

The fast-moving spring storm that passed through the center of Mor-Gran-Sou's system on April 2nd left a path of devastation.

The following links will give you a closer look at the details of the storm, and the magnitude of damage on the Mor-Gran-Sou system. We also have photos on our Facebook site.

Because of the system-wide damage caused from this storm and the January storm, we ask that members be prepared for outages that may occur as we continue the repair process. It will be months, if not a year's time, before the system is fully restored to its most reliable state.

For your safety, please watch for broken power poles and lines in your area.