AdThe original rain and ice storm that began on Thursday, Feb. 11, knocked out power to 10,000 to 12,000 meters, Loth estimated. At its peak, Loth said, about 35,000 of 43,000 CTEC meters had no power. By Sunday, Feb. 21, Loth said CTEC was in its “rebuild” stage, meaning it couldn’t restore power without rebuilding something. AdThe downed power lines and poles are in hard-to-reach places, too, with bulldozers sometimes required to pull the trucks where they’re needed. Every mile of CTEC’s rural power lines serves just a handful of power meters.