Smith Mountain Lake couple has power restored after 100 hours, but prepares for next potential outage

They used lake water, flashlights and coolers to survive

BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. – A bit of good news in all the recent power outages: some parts of our area have power once again.

One couple we spoke with near Smith Mountain Lake had the lights turned back on around 2 p.m. Wednesday, after about 100 hours.

“We’re lucky we have a lake so we can get water to use, and we have gas logs. That was about it, and we had battery-operated lights and flashlights,” said Vincent Ostermeier, a Dixie Acres resident.

He said they also used coolers to keep food fresh, had their batteries charging and got the ice ready for another potential outage.


About the Author:

Tim Harfmann joined the 10 News team in September 2020 and works at the station's Lynchburg bureau.