Crews for Blue Ridge Electric re-connected around 6,500 customers yesterday, leaving 17,608 customers — about one out of four — still without service. Remaining without power by county 5,561 in Oconee, 7,224 in Pickens, and 1,674 in Anderson. Field assessments calculated by last night confirmed 710 broken poles throughout the five-county service area. On average, according to the cooperative, it takes a four-man crew about 3-4 hours to replace one broken pole. The poles must be dug and placed by hand, just as they were in 1940, the year Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative was formed. Blue Ridge counts well over 500 workers in the field.
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