(Estherville)– Area utility companies are warning people to be on the lookout for extremely low-hanging lines.
Utility officials say all the freezing rain we’ve been getting is adding up and has caused a thick coating of ice on many lines, causing some to sag severely. There have even been some isolated reports of lines breaking and coming down, resulting in scattered power outages.
Officials say if you see anything like that you should stay away and contact the proper utility.
Officials with Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative in Estherville say customers can expect periodic outages once the weather warms up. Operations Manager Rick Olesen says ice falling off the lines as it melts will cause the lines to gallop and arc. As a result, he says they’ll be forced to temporarily shutdown some substations to prevent further damage.
Copyright GCI all rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction or broadcast of this material is strictly prohibited.
