SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. — Roughly 2,800 people in Sevier County are still without power after a winter storm swept through the area Monday morning.
According to the web outage map viewer page from Sevier Co. Electric Systems, there are thousands of outages reported in Sevier County.
Allen Robbins, a general manager with Sevier Co. Electric Systems, said that the outages began at 6 a.m. Monday with 55% of customers without power. Some homes had to go without power in below-freezing temperatures.
Robbins said that's the most customers without power he's seen since he joined the company, and the weather contributed to the power outage areas.
"You got all this heavy snow, we've had a lot of rain, you get a lot of wind," Robbins said.
On Monday, Robbins said it may take 2-5 days to restore power to some places depending on how quickly crews can reach certain outlying areas. It appears that it will likely take longer than that estimate, though, given thousands were still without power on Friday.
Robbins said that 30-35 crews are currently working to restore power, five of which come from Sevier Co. Electric Systems. Tree trimming companies, city crews, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol are helping crews reach hard-to-access areas.
Crews saw more trees fall Tuesday morning, even after the snow stopped, because of the soft ground and the weight of the snow pulling them to the ground.
Robbins said that the primary issue might stem from the main transmission line for Wears Valley and Townsend that is currently out. He said that crews are working to fix it as quickly as possible.
Forecasters expect a winter storm on Thursday similar to the storm from Sunday night into Monday morning.
"We've been shedding tears hoping your good meteorologists are not correct this time," Robbins said. "We're prepared, we've got outside help that's in here now."
SMARM, the Smoky Mountain Area Ministries said they will work with people who don't have power, "on a case-by-case basis." They ask people who need help to call them.
"There are people who are falling through the cracks and they really don't need to," said SMARM Director Ryan Huskey.
SMARM accepts donations to help those in need. They ask you to visit their website, and said 100% of the donations stay in Sevier County.