Winter Storm Fern Update, Monday, January 26, 2026, 12:00 pm –
MEC would like to start off by thanking our entire team for their preparation, dedication and servitude to our Members as we awaited what Winter Storm Fern would bring to our service territory. Our employees were on-hand and in the office on standby – ready to answer the call as potential outages began. Thankfully, MEC was spared from the impact of this storm and did not experience any outages.
We would also like to thank our Membership for their preparedness and their kind words as we awaited what this storm would bring. With weather predictions as they were, preparing in advance for outages is key to weathering a massive storm such as Fern. Although we pride ourselves on being prepared and having the best linemen anywhere – forecasts such as this are still scary. We never want our Members to be without power, especially in frigid cold temperatures.
Having said this, regardless of Winter Storm Fern having passed us, wind and frigid temperatures are still very concerning, and we ask our Members to be very cautious as we continue through this week. Temperatures will remain below freezing for much of the week, with lows in the single digits and teens every night. Wind gusts tonight could be as much as 30 mph, which still has the potential to cause scattered outages. Stay inside if possible and always ensure you’re prepared in case of an outage. Although widespread outages are no longer a threat for our service area, trees, especially pines, always pose a risk of snapping with high wind gusts. Safety will always be our FIRST PRIORITY, and we want our Members and employees to remain vigilant in conditions such as these.
Again, thank you all for your support and for your positivity as we weathered this storm together. We are very proud to serve YOU, our valued Members and our communities.
Sincerely,
Your friends at Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative
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Winter Storm Update, Sunday, January 25, 2026, 1:00pm:
As Winter Storm Fern continues to sweep across 24 U.S. states, bringing treacherous driving conditions and power outages for over 800,000 people, MEC currently has no outages but continues to monitor the storm’s track and forecasts for our service territory. As always, we stand ready to answer the call when power outages do begin to occur, which we still anticipate beginning later this afternoon. As temperatures continue to drop, along with additional accumulations from freezing rain, the potential for downed trees and limbs becomes much greater.
Much of our service territory is currently experiencing a lull in precipitation; however, radar is showing another heavy batch of freezing rain to return later this afternoon. Forecasts indicate additional accumulation as we go into the evening hours.
Most importantly, extreme cold temperatures are expected throughout the remainder of the week. Wind gusts between 20-29 mph across our system throughout the day tomorrow and tomorrow night are of great concern, as this creates the potential for additional outages. Additionally, single digit temperatures on Monday night, along with treacherous road conditions, are very dangerous! We urge you to stay off the road and indoors unless absolutely necessary.
Again, should you experience an outage, please call us at 1-877-632-5688 (MECKOUT) or use your SmartHub App to report your outage.
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January 23, 2026
We continue to monitor the winter storm expected to impact our service territory, and we encourage everyone to take steps now to prepare for hazardous conditions
and extended, multi-day power outages. Freezing rain, snow, and frigid temperatures are forecast to begin Saturday evening and will place significant stress on trees and power lines. This storm is expected to create extremely hazardous conditions, including icy roads, fallen trees, and limited accessibility, slowing our restoration efforts. While our crews are ready to respond, restoration will be impacted by the hazardous conditions.
How you can prepare now:
- If someone in your home relies on medical equipment, please ensure you have a
backup power plan in place. - Assemble a well-stocked outage kit, including flashlights, batteries, blankets,
canned food, water, medications, and phone chargers. - Plan for safe backup heat sources and never use grills or generators indoors or in
enclosed spaces. - Make plans for pets and livestock, ensuring they have shelter, food, and water.
- If you are on a well, fill jugs with water for drinking, sanitation, and livestock.
- Charge devices and power banks ahead of the storm.
Essential Notes on Power Restoration:
- Power restoration begins at the substation, which serves large portions of our
system. - Crews then repair three-phase main lines, restoring electricity to the greatest
number of members first. - Once main lines are energized, crews move to single-phase lines and individual
service taps. - Outage numbers often drop quickly at first, as hundreds of members are restored
at once. - As crews reach individual outages, progress may appear slower, since the same
amount of work may restore power to only one or two members. - Learn more about the outage restoration process here.
Staying off the roads, conserving phone battery, and avoiding downed power lines helps protect both you and those working to restore service.
We are proud to serve you and your community, and we take that responsibility seriously. We are in this together, and by preparing ahead of time and looking out for one another, we can weather this storm as safely as possible.
We will continue to share updates as conditions evolve. Thank you for being proactive, patient, and part our Cooperative family. You Matter.
Stay safe,
Your Team at Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative
If you experience an outage, please call our outage reporting system at 877-632-5688