NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Power was restored to 3,000 customers by 6 p.m.Thursday, less than an hour after a fast-moving thunderstorm knocked out electrical service on North Dixie Freeway, Pioneer Trail, Bay Drive and the Islesboro area, a field operator for the Utilities Commission of New Smyrna Beach confirmed.
The updated information was provided by Barney Cameron, power systems coordinator, whom NSBNEWS.net was able to reach at 7:45 p.m.
Cameron said he couldn't provide figures beyond that because there were an additional 100 or so customers without power in other parts of the city due to lightning strikes that knocked out fuse boxes. Those affected areas include Newcomb and Carlton, South Glencoe and parts of East 12th Avenue.
The main power outage was due to a lightning strike that struck a tree that took down power lines on Wayne Avenue, across the street from the New Smyrna Beach Municipal Golf Course.
Cameron said he expected the remaining affected customers to have power fully restored before nightfall.
No one from the administration of the Utilities Commission could be reached for comment and two of the five Utilities Commission members NSBNEWS.net was able to get to contact -- Buz Williams and Oscar Zeller -- said they had no information to provide. Utilities Commission Chairman Walter Allen and Commissioner Jeanne Diessen did not return telephone messages for comment. Vice Chairman Bill Hallwas out of town and unavailable for comment, his wife said.
Acting Utilities Commission CEO Ray Mitchum could not be reached for comment nor could spokeswoman Ellen Fisher.
Mayor Adam Barringer and City Commissioner James Hathaway said, they too, were in the dark as to information on the outage.