On the evening of Monday, Dec. 16, 2019, an EF-3 tornado rolled through Laurel, cutting a path parallel to Highway 11. The tornado caused significant damage to homes and businesses in Laurel, Sandersville, and Eucutta.
Immediately after the tornado and accompanying thunderstorms ended, Dixie Electric had a peak outage of 480 members without electric service.
Dixie Electric’s line crews along with four crews from MDR Powerline Construction Contractors worked through the night, rebuilding and repairing power lines. As of 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019, 229 members remained without power.
As of 5 p.m. on December 17, 2019, 35 members remained without power. All individuals, who could safely receive electric power, were restored by Wednesday, Dec. 18.
“I am proud of all of our employees. They responded to our members’ needs immediately and worked long hours to get power restored after the December tornado,” General Manager Randy Smith said. “I really appreciate our members too. They were understanding and patient as our employees worked to get power restored.”
The tornado that struck Laurel and Sandersville was one of 15 tornados that were recorded in Mississippi on Monday, Dec. 16, 2019. The winds for the EF-3 tornado, which originated in Jones County, peaked at 140 mph, and it carved a 51.4-mile path, which crossed into Clarke County and on into Alabama. The tornado lasted from 5:59 p.m. until 7:16 p.m.
- Peak Outage: 480 members
- Peak Wind Speed: 140 mph
- Poles Replaced: 53
- Tornado’s Path: 51.4 miles
- Transformers Replaced: 13