"One step forward and two steps back" for electrical linemen battling April storm
AS WINDY YESTERDAY.
HIGHS WILL BE IN THE LOW TO MID
30s.
WE WILL TALK ABOUT THE WEEKEND
AND JUST A SECOND.
KELOLAND NEWS STARTS NOW.
LIVE FROM KELOLAND
TELEVISION, KELOLAND NEWS AT
10:00.
GOOD EVENING.
MANY STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
ACROSS KELOLAND WILL HAVE
ANOTHER DAY OFF OF CLASS
TOMORROW OR A LATE START AND
THAT INCLUDES A TWO HOUR LATE
START FOR SIOUX FALLS.
GEORGE McGOVERN MIDDLE SCHOOL
WILL BE CLOSED DUE TO POWER
OUTAGE .
APRIL STORM IS KNOCKING UP
FIRE LINES FASTER THAN LINEMAN
CAN FIX THEM.
SUE VALLEY ENERGY IS JUST ONE
COMPANY WITH CREWS WORKING LONG
SHIFTS TO KEEP UP WITH THE ICE,
RAIN AND SNOW.
THE CEO SAYS THEY HAVE BEEN
FIXING AT LEAST 200 BROKEN
POLES.
ACCORDING TO THE WEBSITE, THE
POWER IS DOWN FOR MORE THAN 6000
SIOUX VALLEY CUSTOMERS.
WE TRAVEL TO GIVE YOU THE
BIGGER IDEA OF WHAT CHALLENGES
LINEMEN ARE FACING.
Reporter: IT FEELS LIKE
WINTER THIS SPRING BUT IT IS
NOT THE COLD BOTHERING SIOUX
VALLEY LINEMAN.
I WOULD SAY THE WIND AND THE
MOISTURE IN THE AIR AS A LITTLE
BIT MORE TO THAT.
Reporter: WITH 6100 MILES OF
LINE TO COVER, WORKERS ARE
EVERYWHERE, TRYING TO FIX THE
POWER, INCLUDING IN THIS AREA
NEAR DIRKSEN.
THEY HAVE BEEN BUSY.
Reporter: CEO, TIM McCARTHY
SAYS THE SCOPE OF THE STORM IS
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE.
BAD WEATHER IS SITTING SEVERAL
AREAS, NOT JUST ONE AND THAT IS
ANOTHER DANGER FOR WORKERS,
DRIVERS.
IF YOU SEE A CREW NEARBY, SLOW
DOWN AND BE CAREFUL .
THE CONDITIONS OF THE ROAD
SERVICE, EVEN IF THEY SLOW
DOWN, THERE IS A RISK OF
SKIDDING OFF THE ROAD AND WE
HAVE PRETTY HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND
PERSONNEL IN ROAD DITCHES.
Reporter: AS WE APPROACH DAY
3 OF LIGHTS GOING ON AND OFF
FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, McCARTHY
APPRECIATES EVERYONE'S IN
PATIENTS .
NOBODY LIKES TO BE WITHOUT
POWER.
IT IS A NECESSITY .
THAT IS WHAT WE STRIVE FOR AND
THEY DO THEIR JOBS FOR.
THEY WANT TO MAKE EVERYTHING AS
GOOD AS THEY CAN FOR OUR
MEMBERS.
Reporter: BRADY MALLORY,
KELOLAND NEWS.
THERE IS ANOTHER REASON TO
BE WORRIED FOR POWER LINES IN
THE WEATHER.
IF THEY FREEZE, THE ICE WAYS
LINES DOWN.
HE SAYS WHEN THE ICE MELTS,
THAT CAN CAUSE LINES TO GO
RECIPROCATING UPWARD AND IT
BECOMES THE PROBLEM IF THE
LINES HIT EACH OTHER WHICH
WE HAVE ALSO INCLUDED A
LINK TO AN INTERACTIVE OUTAGE
MAP.
YOU CAN CLICK ON THE COUNTY YOU
LIVE IN TO FIND OUT HOW MANY
Thursday AM Update KELOLAND On The Go Thursday, April 11 Interstate 90 closed from Sioux Falls to Rapid City, I29 closed from SF to ND border Hartford gets by without power Weather causes closures around Sioux Falls and South Dakota Blizzard closes government offices, schools, courts Safety when stranded Minnehaha County Highway Department is making sure plows stay on the roads Pics of the snow and ice across KELOLAND Power outages, sloppy roads in Lincoln County
