A crash on Radio Road today snapped a power pole and cut electricity to roughly 1,800 Statesville customers, leaving homes and businesses in the dark while city crews scrambled to assess the damage and get the lights back on. Officials warned the outage could last several hours and urged residents to steer clear of downed or low-hanging wires and to report issues through the city’s outage line.
City Details And Timeline
Statesville Public Power reported that a vehicle struck a power pole on Radio Road, knocking out service to about 1,800 customers and forcing crews to fully replace the damaged pole. Workers were already on scene, the city said, evaluating the situation and gearing up for repairs, with restoration expected to take several hours. These details were shared in a Facebook update from the City of Statesville.
How To Report It And What To Expect
Residents who are still without electricity are asked to call Statesville’s outage line at 704-878-3479 and can track affected areas on the City of Statesville website. The city notes that the outage map highlights neighborhoods currently impacted but that estimated restoration times and detailed status updates are still limited as the system ramps up.
Local Context
The outage hits as Statesville continues rolling out a new Outage Management System this winter, aimed at improving communication with customers during service disruptions. The city launched its online outage map in December as part of that effort, and officials have been urging customers to update their contact information so they can receive text alerts, according to Iredell Free News.
Safety Tips While Power Is Out
Residents are reminded not to touch any downed lines and to treat every low-hanging wire as if it is live. Call 911 if you see an immediate hazard, and use the city’s outage line to report non-emergency problems. The city also cautions against running generators indoors and recommends using flashlights instead of candles to reduce fire risk. Neighbors are encouraged to check in on anyone who relies on electric medical equipment, according to the City of Statesville.
