We don’t really think about what it means not to have electricity until we don’t have it. When the power goes off, we wait for line workers to go out in all kinds of weather and conditions to restore what we have become accustomed to having for many years thanks to electrification.

Workers with electric cooperatives have had their days filled with restoring power across a wide area of western North Dakota as the result of last weekend’s freezing rain, snow and wind storm that brought down thousands of poles and miles of power lines.

The storm left customers without power for lights, heat, cooking, etc., and even for some water. Some hooked up generators for their needs and to try to maintain a normal life without electric power. Overall, many peoples’ normal days were interrupted and for some continue to be interrupted until power is restored. It is predicted some may not have their power restored until late May.

Line workers from electric cooperatives and many others have been on the job to try to get power restored to many customers.

For a situation like the present one, more people have been called upon to help including contractors and assistance from other cooperatives. Unmanned aircraft – drones – have been providing images of damage in difficult areas to reach and North Dakota Civil Air Patrol members have been capturing aerial imagery to support power restoration operations.

When things like this happen there is a common thread: Everyone pulls together.

Jerry King, general manager of Burke-Divide Electric Cooperative, said it best in a story in The Minot Daily News on Friday: “It’s a challenging time, but the North Dakota people, in my experience, are courageous and they are tough. We have great members of the cooperative. They are out there helping us.”

It’s not easy but we are confident the cooperatives and their customers will get through this as they have other challenges they have faced. Thank you to all who are working to make this happen.

Thank you for being North Dakota tough and pulling together,