The storm that passed through parts of Marshall and Washington Counties last week left approximately 580 customers in four communities without internet and cable services. BVT serves just under 2,000 in those communities, so the impact this storm had to the area was of epic proportions.

Service technicians scouted the damage immediately following the storm. Adhering to the requests of local law enforcement, the crews were not dispatched immediately – allowing first responders time to do their jobs and secure the safety of the community. Once able, BVT crews began clearing trees, troubleshooting downed lines, and restoring power supply channels.

Teams respectfully avoided work areas where power companies were working. “We do our best to give other utility companies room to do their work. When too many crews attempt to work on issues in the same area, we risk accidents. Our main focus is the safety of all the crews,” said Jon Novak, BVT project manager.

By Sunday night services had been restored to most of Waterville, Hanover, and Blue Rapids. Crews focused on Marysville once a significant area had power restored. By Tuesday night the team had less than 75 homes still in need of repairs and as of Wednesday night, all internet connections were reporting active.

Chief Executive Officer, Candace Wright, said in a statement to the employees, “Thank you so much for the tremendous amount of hard work that was put in to get our customers back up and running after Saturday night’s storms.  From working long hours in the heat and humidity, to answering our customers’ calls, to working through outage numbers and trouble tickets, to keeping the public informed about our restoration efforts, your dedication to our communities and BVT was displayed in awesome fashion and is greatly appreciated!”

BVT employs a total of 52 people between the Home and Manhattan offices.