Friday morning turned tense along Big Creek Road in Cocke County as a power outage cut electricity to roughly 350 service locations, plunging a rural stretch near Hartford into the dark. The blackout hit Grassy Fork School and numerous nearby homes, while utility crews moved in to isolate the damage and get service back on. Local officials urged residents to steer clear of any downed lines while the work was underway.
Officials and response
According to Cocke County Emergency Management Agency, crews were called to Big Creek Road after damage to a span of three-phase power lines tore them down and cut electricity to about 350 service locations. The agency said repairs were underway and crews had been dispatched to make the necessary fixes.
How to check outage status
Newport Utilities maintains a live outage map and an outage information page where customers can track restorations and report problems. View the map on the Newport Utilities outage map, or consult the Newport Utilities outage page for reporting instructions and phone numbers.
School affected
Grassy Fork Elementary School, listed at 4120 Big Creek Road in Hartford by Cocke County Schools, was among the locations affected. The school serves kindergarten through eighth grade, and families are advised to monitor district channels for any schedule updates, per Grassy Fork Elementary School.
Safety and next steps
Officials urged residents to stay away from downed power lines, give utility crews space to work, and follow local channels for updates. Anyone without power is advised to report outages through the utility's outage map or phone system while crews complete repairs.
