A Friday night crash into a power pole left nearly 1,500 Cocke County customers in the dark and briefly disrupted the county’s backup emergency communications, according to county officials. Newport Utilities crews moved in quickly, and emergency managers said fiber-optic technicians isolated and fixed the fault in about an hour, restoring service to most customers while a National Weather Service Flood Watch kept tensions high across East Tennessee.
Crash, outage and the utility response
According to a Facebook post from the Cocke County Emergency Management Agency, the outage started around 8:05 p.m. on May 29 when a vehicle hit a power pole and cut electricity to almost 1,500 customers. The county said Newport Utilities immediately dispatched fiber-optic technicians, who tracked down and repaired the system fault in roughly an hour, bringing power back to most affected locations.
While that work was underway, emergency crews stayed at the crash scene to secure the damaged pole and lines so restoration could continue safely.
Flood watch and hazards
The outage landed at a bad time for losing lights and phones. The National Weather Service in Morristown had a Flood Watch in effect through Saturday afternoon for much of East Tennessee, warning of heavy rain and the potential for flash flooding.
Forecasters cautioned that some storms could dump very heavy rain, and that excessive runoff might flood creeks, low-lying spots, and roads. With that in mind, getting power and communications back quickly became an even higher priority for the crews on scene.
How to check outages and report damage
Newport Utilities provides an online outage map and automated outage reporting so customers can track repairs without tying up phone lines. According to Newport Utilities, customers can report outages through SmartHub or by calling the automated line at 423-625-2800. The utility updates its outage map as crews make progress. Newport Utilities lists its main office at 170 Cope Boulevard in Newport.
Officials praise quick fixes, urge caution
The Cocke County Emergency Management Agency credited Newport Utilities with what it described as "quick and decisive action" that helped protect both residents and responders while power was restored. Officials urged people to steer clear of flooded roads, treat any downed lines as live, and report outages or hazards to Newport Utilities or 911. The National Weather Service reminder to "turn around, don't drown" remains in effect for the area.
County leaders said they will keep monitoring conditions and will update the public as new information is available.
