OUTER BANKS, North Carolina (WTVD) --
The latest on power loss on two North Carolina islands:* Lawsuit filed against PCL Construction
* Governor Cooper visits the Outer Banks, says people are strong and resilient
* Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative continues restoration efforts
* Crews estimate restoration efforts to take about a week or two barring any storms
On Tuesday, Whitfield, Bryson & Mason LLP filed a lawsuit against PCL Civil Constructors Inc.
The firm is working with two vacation rental owners and one business owner who were affected by the blackout.
On Monday, Gov. Roy Cooper visited Bonner Bridge where three electric transmission cables were damaged, causing the evacuation of tourists from two islands on North Carolina's Outer Banks.
The bridge spans the Oregon Inlet. Three cables were damaged Thursday by a construction company building a new bridge parallel to the current one.
After the stop, Cooper made his way to businesses in Rodanthe, south of the bridge on Hatteras Island.
During a news conference, Cooper said the people of the Outer Banks are resilient and will overcome this hardship.
"Clearly, the Outer Banks have faced storms before that have knocked out power so this is not anything that's unfamiliar," said Cooper. "I will tell you this, the people on the Outer Banks are resilient and even when a tough nor'easter or tough storm comes they're up and back and running as quick as anybody you'd ever see. But this is a little bit different in that this is a man-made accident that has occurred here and it's a different situation, but I have no doubt that they will be back and in action as quick as that power is turned on."
The loss of all power to Hatteras and Ocracoke islands caused authorities to order tourists to evacuate.
Transportation Secretary Jim Trogdon said it will take 1-2 weeks to restore electricity; however, he said if a tropical storm hits, crews will evaluate progress on a day by day basis.
Electric cooperatives are using generators on the two islands after PCL Construction accidentally drove a steel casing into the underground transmission cable.
In order to restore power, officials at Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative said: "the first solution is to continue excavating the damaged cables and work to splice them back together; repairs have already begun on the first excavated cable. The second solution is to build a new overhead transmission line that would run from the south end of the Bonner Bridge to meet the cooperative's existing overhead transmission line. Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative will actively pursue both of these solutions until it is clear which of these will provide the fastest and safest option for a full repair. Depending on which solution turns out to be the most practical, the timeline for a complete repair could vary from one to two weeks."
The mandatory evacuation order for all visitors to Hatteras Island and became effective at 6 a.m. on Saturday. The evacuation order included the villages of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras. The evacuation order does not include any areas north of Oregon Inlet. All areas north of Oregon Inlet remain open with no restrictions in place.
About 50,000 people were evacuated Saturday while residents were stuck using generators.
Gov. Roy Cooper signed an emergency declaration Thursday night. He said the declaration removes restrictions on weight and the hours of service for fuel, utility and other truck drivers that may be working to deliver supplies and other resources needed to restore power.
Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative said its crews worked to provide intermittent power from a nearby diesel generating plant and two portable generators. Officials said the portable generators struggled to carry the load on the circuits, and people are being asked to minimize usage.
While crews work to fix the damage, Cooper said he's supplying state resources to help neighbors manage the crisis. But it's not just residents feeling the effects, local businesses are taking a hit too.
"The average vehicle is $15," said Cedar Island Ferry worker Myrna Willis. "Well, for each one of those people refunded the state's losing that $15 back into that person's pocket, we are losing."
And that loss is trickling down convenience stores like Island's Choice.
"Usually everyone knows this is the last stop before getting on the ferry, so they'll usually stop, gas up, come get a drink, use the restroom, and it's not been that way today, people are not coming in," said owner Sherman Goodwin.
As for vacationers, Cooper said this is an opportunity to enjoy North Carolina's many other beaches.
"You've got the northern part of the Outer Banks and lots of good beaches and vacations spots right here in North Carolina and we're ready for you."
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OBX blackout update: 2 of 3 power cables cut, could take 2 weeks to repair, evacuation continues
July 30, 2017 10:44 AM
HATTERAS ISLAND
Utility officials said on Sunday that the reason for the mass blackout on the Outer Banks was a construction company damaging not one but three power cables and that it could take from 1-2 weeks to fully restore power.
Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative (CHEC) said in updates on Facebook Sunday that it ran tests on its other two cables that showed all three transmission cables “have been compromised” leading to the blackout that has left thousands without power and forced visitors to leave the islands.
CHEC crews are working toward two solutions for transmission restoration. The first solution is to continue excavating the damaged cables and work to splice them back together; repairs have already begun on the first excavated cable. The second solution is to build a new overhead transmission line that would run from the south end of the Bonner Bridge to meet the cooperative’s existing overhead transmission line. CHEC said they will actively pursue both of these solutions until it is clear which of these will provide the fastest and safest option for a full repair.
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OUTER BANKS, North Carolina (WTVD) --
The latest on power loss on two North Carolina islands:* Governor Cooper to visit Monday
* Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative continues restoration efforts
* Crews estimate restoration efforts to take about a week or two
* Local businesses feeling negative effects
Governor Roy Cooper plans to visit the bridge where three electric transmission cables were damaged, causing the evacuation of tourists from two islands on North Carolina's Outer Banks.
A news release from the governor's office says Cooper will visit the Bonner Bridge on Monday. It spans the Oregon Inlet. Three cables were damaged Thursday by a construction company building a new bridge parallel to the current one.
After the stop, Cooper will visit businesses in Rodanthe, south of the bridge on Hatteras Island.
The loss of all power to Hatteras and Ocracoke islands caused authorities to order tourists to evacuate. Officials said it will take 1-2 weeks to restore electricity.
Electric cooperatives are using generators on the two islands after PCL Construction accidentally drove a steel casing into the underground transmission cable.
In order to restore power, officials at Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative said: "the first solution is to continue excavating the damaged cables and work to splice them back together; repairs have already begun on the first excavated cable. The second solution is to build a new overhead transmission line that would run from the south end of the Bonner Bridge to meet the cooperative's existing overhead transmission line. Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative will actively pursue both of these solutions until it is clear which of these will provide the fastest and safest option for a full repair. Depending on which solution turns out to be the most practical, the timeline for a complete repair could vary from one to two weeks."
The mandatory evacuation order for all visitors to Hatteras Island and became effective at 6 a.m. on Saturday. The evacuation order included the villages of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras. The evacuation order does not include any areas north of Oregon Inlet. All areas north of Oregon Inlet remain open with no restrictions in place.
About 3,800 people were evacuated Saturday while residents were stuck using generators.
Gov. Roy Cooper signed an emergency declaration Thursday night. He said the declaration removes restrictions on weight and the hours of service for fuel, utility and other truck drivers that may be working to deliver supplies and other resources needed to restore power.
Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative said its crews worked to provide intermittent power from a nearby diesel generating plant and two portable generators. Officials said the portable generators struggled to carry the load on the circuits, and people are being asked to minimize usage.
While crews work to fix the damage, Cooper said he's supplying state resources to help neighbors manage the crisis. But it's not just residents feeling the effects, local businesses are taking a hit too.
"The average vehicle is $15," said Cedar Island Ferry worker Myrna Willis. "Well, for each one of those people refunded the state's losing that $15 back into that person's pocket, we are losing."
And that loss is trickling down convenience stores like Island's Choice.
"Usually everyone knows this is the last stop before getting on the ferry, so they'll usually stop, gas up, come get a drink, use the restroom, and it's not been that way today, people are not coming in," said owner Sherman Goodwin.==========
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Thousands evacuate North Carolina's Outer Banks after power outage caused by negligent PCL Construction Co. when they drove a steel casing through an underground transmission cable! CALL BEFORE YOU DIG!
Here is the statement by the negligent PCL Construction Co.:
“PCL, NCDOT, CHEC, all in conjunction with government officials, have crews working around-the-clock to make the necessary repairs to return power service to the area as quickly as possible.
Currently, there are two excavators, two vacuum trucks, and a loader supporting the repair operation. The damage is estimated to be approximately 9 feet below ground level and a trench box has been installed to support the excavation.
The crews have recently exposed the affected area and have begun investigating the damage. Electrical experts are currently initiating and assessing options for repairs.
As soon as further information is known we will update the progress. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused to tourists, residents, and local businesses. We are doing everything we can to restore power quickly and safely.”
Here the company's statement on July 28, 2017:
"PCL is actively working with NCDOT and Cape Hatteras Electric to determine the exact cause of the power outage south of the Bonner Bridge. At this time, our primary concern is to ensure that we are doing everything we can to assist in restoring power as quickly as possible. As we know more, updates will be available to the public."
PCL is a group of independent construction companies that carries out work across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, and in Australia. The organization has operations in the civil infrastructure, heavy industrial, and buildings markets.
PCL is involved with more than 700 projects at any one time. These range in value from $20,000 to more than $1 billion and include office towers, residential condominiums, retail outlets, hotels and resorts, educational and health care facilities, casinos, sport and entertainment complexes, bridges, airports, high-tech facilities, water treatment facilities, petrochemical/power/oil and gas plants, and major plant maintenance shutdowns.
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Thousands of tourists had to evacuate two islands along the hugely popular Outer Banks in North Carolina after a construction company caused a massive power outage.
The Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative said in a press release that PCL Construction told the cooperative it had accidentally driven a steel casing into an underground electric transmission cable while working on the new Bonner Bridge on North Carolina's coast Thursday morning, cutting off power to Ocracoke and Hatteras islands.
Local officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for all visitors on Hatteras Island effective at 6 a.m. ET Saturday. The evacuation order includes the villages of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras, according to ABC station WTVD.
Earlier in the week, local officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for all visitors on Ocracoke Island effective at 5 p.m. ET Thursday.
As of Saturday afternoon, the North Carolina Department of Transportation's ferry division had transported close to 3,800 people and 1,485 cars from both islands, the state governor's office said.
“Ensuring the safety of residents and visitors is our primary concern, but we know the loss of power has a significant economic impact as well,” Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) said on Friday. “Summer is the busiest time of year for our North Carolina coastal communities, and we know this outage is causing problems for locals, vacationers and businesses.”
About 35,000 people live year-round in Dare County, where Hatteras Island is located, but during summer months the daily population is estimated to reach 225,000 to 300,000, according to the county website.
People in the area posted photos to social media showing how the darkness and lack of power affected their summer vacations.
The power went out about 4:30 a.m. ET Thursday. Officials said some 9,000 customers are without power on the two islands -- about 7,700 on Hatteras and another 1,300 on Ocracoke, according to The Associated Press.
The governor issued a state of emergency for both islands Thursday night.
PCL Construction said it is working "around-the-clock" with Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative and state officials to make the necessary repairs to restore power to the islands "as quickly as possible."
"The damage is estimated to be approximately 9 feet below ground level," the construction company said in a statement Saturday. "The crews have recently exposed the affected area and have begun investigating the damage. Electrical experts are currently initiating and assessing options for repairs."
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Project Overview and Purpose
The Herbert C. Bonner Bridge, which carries N.C.
12 over Oregon Inlet between Hatteras and Bodie islands, is well past
its design life and is being replaced with a new bridge that will better
withstand its coastal environment.
Through the use of high-durability concrete,
stainless reinforcing steel and other engineering features, the new
bridge is designed to have a 100-year life span and will provide more
options for navigation under the bridge.
Project Highlights
The N.C. Department of Transportation studied
eight options – called alternatives – for building the bridge within two
corridors. Each alternative is detailed in what's called the Record of Decision, a document that explains NCDOT's decision for choosing the option now under construction.
That alternative, approved by the Federal Highway Administration, breaks the project into two phases:
- Phase I, which includes building the new bridge just west of where the Bonner Bridge currently stands
- Phase II, which include implementing permanent solutions for breaches caused by Hurricane Irene in 2011 on N.C. 12 in Pea Island and Rodanthe.
The exact plan for implementing future phases will be determined,
based on NCDOT's active coastal monitoring program, which helps
determine where and when to make improvements to N.C. 12 from the south
end of the Bonner Bridge to Rodanthe.
Any of the alternatives (beach nourishment, road
relocation and bridging) previously studied as part of the original
environmental analysis could be considered for future phases.
Bonner Bridge Groundbreaking
NCDOT broke ground on the Herbert C. Bonner
Bridge replacement over Oregon Inlet on March 8, 2016, marking the
official beginning of construction – a long-awaited milestone for people
who live, work or visit the Outer Banks from throughout North Carolina
and from around the world.
======================Two more temporary generators arrive on Ocracoke
on July 28, 2017
One of two two-megawatt portable generators arrive on Ocracoke Friday afternoon. Photo C. Leinbach
July 28, 2017 8:33 p.m.
For Ocracoke news, click here.
By Connie Leinbach
Two temporary two-megawatt generators arrived from Jacksonville, Fla., on Ocracoke this afternoon and when they are turned on, each of the three island electric grids will have constant power, Donnie Shumate, Hyde County public information officer, said Friday.
However, residents will still be prohibited from turning on HVAC systems, he said.
“Only refrigerators and fans can be on,” said Shumate, who is based in Swan Quarter. “HVAC and other resource-intensive systems are prohibited from being turned on at this time.”
Damage to the power line to Hatteras and Ocracoke is still being assessed.
The power went out to Hatteras and Ocracoke islands at 4:30 Thursday morning when PCL Construction, the contractors building the new Bonner Bridge, drove a piling through the underground cable between the southern end of Bonner Bridge at the Oregon Inlet and the first riser pole on Hatteras Island.
Crews excavate where the power line at the Bonner Bridge was severed. Photo courtesy of PCL Construction.
Shumate said in a press release engineers have arrived at the damaged portion of the main transmission line, and are assessing the state of the system.
“Excavation crews began digging down to the line at around 1 p.m. and are making good progress towards reaching the line,” Shumate said. “A trench box has been set and a dewatering system is in place to allow crews to dig the final two to three feet out.
“Light sources have been brought in for the crews working, and they will continue to work through the night.”
A message from Tideland at 8:40 tonight said engineers and splicing experts should be able to get their first look at it tonight.
A spokeswoman for PCL said today that the company is working with NCDOT and Cape Hatteras Electric to assist in restoring power as quickly as possible. “This is an active investigation,” said Stephanie McCay. “Once we expose the line and inspect the damage, we will be able to determine the cause.”
At the state level, officials are doing all they can to help Ocracoke regain full electric power as soon as possible.
Gov. Roy Cooper today urged authorities to work quickly to restore power to Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands following the major outage that occurred here early Thursday morning.
“The situation is stabilizing today thanks to the use of additional portable generators,” Cooper said in a press release. “Public safety services have power as do water and sewer. I ask residents and visitors to be patient as everyone works towards restoring the power and getting conditions back to normal on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. Conserving power is crucial until that time comes.”
A one-megawatt portable generator from Raleigh was delivered to the island Thursday night and at 3:30 this morning delivered power to the lighthouse area of the island along Lighthouse and Loop roads, which is the smallest of the three circuits on the island
Ocracoke Seafood is closed. Photo: C. Leinbach
Tommy Hutcherson, Variety Store proprietor and who also is on the Ocracoke Advisory Control Group composed of officials and island stakeholders and which advises the Hyde County Commissioners on emergencies, sent an email saying this generator will rotate power on the two circuits currently off-line.
The anticipated initial rotation will be four hours on and four hours off. A rotation schedule should be available by 10 p.m. tonight.
He said the transfer switch for generator No. 3 is in route to the island but will not arrive until 2 or 3 a.m. Saturday.
“Tideland is hopeful to have this generator up and running by early afternoon on Saturday,” he said. “Once it is running and there are not any glitches with any generators positioned on the island, we will be on full generated power with no interruptions. This is a hope and not a promise as many unforeseen incidents have occurred since we lost main power.”
On Thursday, the Hyde County Board of Commissioners issued a mandatory evacuation of all non-residents effective at 5 p.m. This is to conserve power once generators are working.
A run on batteries at the Variety Store. Photo: C. Leinbach
Only individuals who are Ocracoke residents, seasonal residents, non-resident property owners,
Vendors and emergency personnel who display a valid re-entry pass, or who possess some form of documentation proving residency and/or employment, will be allowed access to the island.
In the meantime, those restaurants and businesses with generators are open. That includes Ocracoke Oyster Company, the Flying Melon, Howard’s Pub, the Back Porch, the Ocracoke Bar & Grille, Zillies Island Pantry and the Ocracoke Station.
SmacNally’s and Sorellas Pizza and Pasta were among the closed eateries until full power can be restored.
Manager Daniela Gilbert said her Smac’s generator is only hooked up to the walk-in freezer and the refrigerator.
Ann Warner, Howard’s Pub owner, and Daphne Bennink, owner of the Back Porch, said they are open tonight and taking it day-to-day.
“We were open yesterday and are today,” said Bob Chestnut, owner of Ride the Wind Surf Shop.
Mermaid’s Folly also is closed, said Mickey Baker, co-owner. Both proprietors said their businesses were having a record year until Thursday’s power outage.
“We were going 100 miles per hour, then zero miles per hour yesterday,” Baker said.
Baker, who is active in resisting offshore drilling in the Atlantic, said there’s a direct correlation between what happened with this power outage and what could happen with offshore drilling, despite companies’ claims that technology is better now.
“Human error will always do something,” Baker said. “And this is the proof. A human cut the cord to our economy.”
Ocracoke Oyster Company is among the open businesses. Photo: C. Leinbach
The island knows when hurricanes are coming and can prepare, she said.
“But then they dry up and we go back to business,” she said. “This we didn’t see coming. We’re at the mercy of PCL. This issue is income in July, which is our most important month.”
Baker visited the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Company, who had opened to the public today at 8 a.m. as a cooling and charging station, where she charged her electronic devices.
“They were all jammed this morning,” Baker said. “They’ve been so gracious.”
Under the evacuation order, tolls and reservations for the Swan Quarter and Cedar Island ferries are waived, and spots are on a first-come, first-served basis.
Under the state of emergency and evacuation order, any individual who fails to leave an evacuated area shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor, in accordance with N.C.G.S. 14-288.20A.
All renters should be aware that, pursuant to Article 6 of Chapter 42A-36 of the North Carolina General Statues, travel insurance claims may be made when a claimant is complying with a mandatory evacuation. Renters should contact their travel insurance policy provider after evacuating from the island.
As of 4 p.m. today, the Ferry Division reported that they had evacuated 3,406 people and 1,316 cars.
OVFD firefighters Karmen Laton, Chrisi Gaskill and Theresa Ray take a break from helping to charge electronic devices at the fire house Friday. Photo by Mickey Baker
The Pirates Chest is open. Photo: C. Leinbach
The first portable generator makes the trip from Swan Quarter to Ocracoke Thursday. Photo courtesy of N.C. Ferry Division