Damaged Pole Was Culprit In Power Outage
A utility pole on Ridge Street in Water Valley was damaged after a vehicle struck it on Saturday, Dec. 22. Power was cut off to the town for several hours that night as the city’s electric department crew made a temporary repair.
By David Howell
Editor
WATER VALLEY – A damaged utility pole on Ridge Street was the culprit in a power outage in Water Valley on Saturday, Dec. 22. Electric Department Superintendent Andy Hall reported that power in the entire grid blinked after a vehicle struck the pole, causing it to split and the lines to droop and make contact with shrubbery.
Hall said his crew had to shut off the power in town for several hours to make a temporary repair, installing a pole adjacent to the damaged pole for support. Hall also said the impact caused the entire pole to split.
“We rode out the lines and saw the tire tracks and indention on the pole,” Hall explained, adding that the vehicle left the scene of the accident. He also said the repair took longer than expected after repairs also had to made to connecting poles.
Work continued on the pole the following Wednesday as a mini track hoe was brought in to clear undergrowth downhill from the pole to allow support wires to be anchored in the ground.
