DEC marks 30th anniversary of devastating ice storm

Thirty years ago this month, Delaware Electric Cooperative employees worked around the clock to restore power after the First State was hit with the most destructive winter storm in modern history.

The ice storm of 1994 knocked out power to more than 80% of the homes served by the cooperative. It took nearly two weeks for all power to be restored. The event is etched in the memories of many Delawareans, who call it a once-in-a-century storm. Co-op members who lost power said they remember the nearly constant sound of trees snapping under the weight of several inches of ice.

Dave Shapley, DEC vice president of innovation and strategic initiatives, had been at the co-op less than a year at the time. “We experienced two waves of ice – we started to restore power after the first wave, and then lost ground with the second wave. We had no electricity at the co-op, and many of us did not have power at our own homes. On top of that, travel was horrendous. DEC employees worked tirelessly and spent the nights at the office for days on end, and made personal sacrifices to restore power for members,” said Shapley.

The storm struck Feb. 8, 1994, as freezing rain quickly covered trees and power lines in ice. At the storm’s height, 40,000 of the cooperative’s 48,000 members had lost power. DEC faced the difficult task of replacing about 500 broken poles brought down by falling trees or snapped by hundreds of pounds of ice. The DEC team also had to repair nine substations and 40 circuits the storm had damaged. Contractors, tree-trimming crews and line workers from utilities across the Mid-Atlantic assisted DEC in its efforts to repair the damage. Power was restored to all members Feb. 19.

“After the historic 1994 ice storm, DEC embarked on a mission to rebuild and improve our system, incorporating lessons learned into our operations moving forward,” said Rob Book. DEC president and CEO. “Today, the co-op utilizes innovative technologies to enhance reliability for its members and has an aggressive tree-trimming program.”

Three decades after the ice storm, the co-op’s innovative technology includes distribution automation to minimize outages. Automated equipment placed across the co-op’s service territory is able to identify and isolate issues on the lines. Once distribution automation has isolated the cause of an outage, it can redirect electricity to affected homes and reduce the amount of time members are without power.

“As of January, we have now equipped all of our substations with distribution automation technology, which means members will lose power less often and can expect faster restoration times when they experience a service interruption,” Book said.

After the historic ice storm, DEC also invested in a robust tree-trimming program that clears trees, branches and vegetation away from power lines and equipment. Each year, the cooperative spends millions of dollars on tree trimming that prevents countless outages from occurring. The expansion and modernization of substations to support its growing membership has also helped improve reliability. These improvements, alongside a comprehensive power line inspection program, helped DEC achieve its most reliable year ever in 2023. Members lost power less often and, on average, power was restored two minutes faster than in 2022.

While DEC has hardened the local grid over the past several decades, a storm similar to what struck Delaware in 1994 would still cause widespread damage and outages today. “DEC continues to focus on developing innovative ways to provide improved reliability for our members,” said Jesse Spampinato, vice president of operations. “However, even with one of the most reliable systems, we are not immune to the weather. If the ice storm of 1994 were to occur today, it would still take tremendous effort, external support and extended outage time before our system was fully restored.”

DEC is better prepared to respond to severe weather, but co-op officials encourage members to prepare for all types of severe weather and the extended outages they may bring. Members should have an emergency kit assembled and be prepared to be without power for several days during severe weather. They can also download the DEC Connect app for outage reporting and information. When trouble strikes, always stay away from downed wires or damaged electric equipment, and call 911 immediately to report issues. Touching energized wires can lead to injury and death.

Delaware Electric Cooperative is a member-owned electric utility powering more than 300,000 people in Kent and Sussex counties. For more information, go to delaware.coop or follow on social media.