Power outage closes YMCA

Published 8:08 pm Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Technicians from Dominion Virginia Power were at the Suffolk Family YMCA Tuesday night around 7:45 p.m., working to restore power to the facility, which had been closed to members following a general power failure there.

According to Terry Reedy, vice president of communications for the YMCA of South Hampton Roads, a problem in the CT box, which is similar to a home’s electric meter, caused a “meltdown of some wires” around 6:30 p.m. The entire facility lost power, it was quickly closed, and members were evacuated.

“When they found the problem, they did clear the building,” Reedy said. “I think everything’s OK. It’s under control.”

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Reedy said the facility was expected to remain closed for up to 24 hours while crews worked to restore electrical service.

“It’s really up to Dominion Power to tell us when we can open,” she added.

Her department sent an email to members of the YMCA of South Hampton Roads at 7:25 p.m. Tuesday, informing them of the closure. Members were directed to call the facility at 934-9622 before heading there.

Reedy said that officials from the Taylor Bend YMCA in Chesapeake, as well as other affiliated facilities, would be brought up to date on the situation so that they could answer questions from Suffolk-area members who might use their facilities during the closure.

The Suffolk Family YMCA’s childcare program will operate on a normal schedule on Wednesday. Children who attend the program will ride buses to the Franklin YMCA, where they will spend the day, Reedy said.