BEMIDJI — Local power companies Beltrami Electric Cooperative and Otter Tail Power Company have reported that power has been restored to everyone who experienced an outage due to the June 21 storm.
According to a June 27 release from BEC, its outage map "reflected zero members without power early this morning — marking a significant milestone in what has been one of the most challenging and grueling restoration efforts in recent memory."
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In seven days, the cooperative restored power to more than 19,000 members who lost service following the storm, the release noted. More than 90% of the co-op’s rural distribution system was affected.
"The storm caused widespread destruction, including an estimated 80 broken poles, along with damage to transformers and other essential equipment," the release said. "While all members have been restored, the cooperative faces weeks of follow-up repair work to fully address the lasting impact."
According to a June 27 Facebook post, Otter Tail Power Company has also restored power to its customers.
"From sunrise to sunset, our crews have braved challenging conditions head-on to restore power and support our communities this week," the post reads. "We've restored electrical system service to all communities."
BEC members can receive updates on outages and restoration efforts by visiting the outage map at beltramielectric.com. Members who need to report an outage can call 1-800-955-6083.
Otter Tail Power Company customers can receive updates on outages and restoration efforts by visiting the outage map at Customers who need to report an outage can call (800) 257-4044.