An unforgettable Christmas

It’s been nearly 300 days since the region was crippled with the worst ice storm the state has seen in over 25 years. From Dec. 25, 2023, to Jan. 5, 2024, thousands of CCEC members were without power for prolonged periods of time, often surpassing days and even one week. As we approach the one-year anniversary of the storm, we want to reflect through the eyes of a member who experienced some of the storm’s most extreme turmoil.

Jim Sad lives a stone’s throw outside of Fingal, North Dakota. Surrounded by amber fields of corn and a vast prairie sky, the property is a beacon of tranquility that Sad and his wife landed upon six years ago.

“We were living in Enderlin and were aware of the place because a friend of mine was interested in it,” Sad recalled. “Things didn’t work out for him to buy it, but he referred the owner to us. The seller reached out to me, and we came out the next day. We put in an offer, and here we are.”

It’s served as a haven for Sad, his wife, two sons, and chickens, horses, and dogs from the hustle and bustle of modern-day society.

“It’s really been perfect,” he said. “We’re close enough to drive into town, but we get our own slice of peace and comfort.”
That changed on Christmas Day last year. Sad and his family experienced multiple outages over a nine-day span due to the holiday season ice storm. The longest of those stretches lasted seven consecutive days.

Just months after his mother’s passing, Sad and his family spent Christmas at his father’s house in Jamestown.

“It was our first Christmas without her, so the entire family wanted to be with Dad,” Sad said. “He’s a former city worker, so when the weather started to pick up, he was on alert.”

Sad monitored the radar but remained calm as the family weighed returning home. They returned home that evening with no difficulties on the road and to a house equipped with running electricity.

Then it hit

“We woke up the next morning to no power,” he recalled. “I wasn’t too concerned because we rarely get outages, but when we do, it’s a pretty quick turnaround. I made a call to Cass (County Electric), and they said they were aware and working on it, and life went on.”

Sad, who works at the sunflower plant in Enderlin, headed to work and received a call that power had been restored. He and his wife (who works in Valley City at a daycare) returned home to running electricity. Later that night, the power went out again.

“I called again, and they were on it,” Sad said. “We woke up the next morning, and things were good.”

Thinking they were in the clear, the Sads headed to work…only to return home to no power. Yet this time, things were not turning back on.

“That’s when we realized we were in it for the long run,” Sad said. “It was warm enough that we went two days without a worry. We’d put sweatshirts on and use blankets, but we would play games with the boys. It was fine.”

Yet after 48 hours with no electricity, Sad had a decision to make.

“With a two- and four-year-old, we could tell it was a little too cold,” he said.

Sad’s wife took the two boys to her parent’s place in East Grand Forks for the weekend before venturing to Jamestown on Monday to stay with Sad’s father so she could still commute to work. In the meantime, Jim stayed at home to hold the fort down and take care of the animals.

“If you’ve got animals, it’s your duty to take care of them and keep them fed and hydrated because they can’t fend for themselves,” Sad said.

Sad was able to make do with a small generator for a few days. But after 48 more hours without power, he realized he’d need something bigger. After taking to Facebook for help, he drove to West Fargo to pick up a larger generator that a friend had offered to lend. While stopping in Casselton on the way back to fill up a gas tank, he came upon a Cass County Electric truck.

The person inside? Former CCEC VP of Member and Energy Services and current CEO/President Paul Matthys.

“I approached him asking if he or his team needed food, water, or anything else,” Sad recalled. “He shared with me that he was actually in charge of line patrol in my area. We talked about generator safety, and he gave me his cellphone number and told me to reach out if I had any questions.”

Initially not planning on reaching out, Sad felt inclined to after seeing the around-the-clock work of CCEC’s lineworkers to restore power.

“I think Paul felt my sense of urgency as time went on,” Sad laughed. “I texted him once a day to three times a day, to even more. He was very honest – he didn’t tell me what I wanted to hear, he didn’t sugarcoat things, and I appreciated that.”

As CCEC lineworkers continued their pursuit, Sad would drive up and down the line to monitor progress. As the only member on his stretch of line, he understood the importance and prioritization of restoring as many people as possible as soon as possible.

“Paul gave me a map, and I’d drive up and down the line,” he said. “He’d text me updates of where lineworkers were and as accurate of estimates he could give.”

Nine days and nearly $1,000 of gas for his truck and generator later, Sad and his family were able to be under the same roof again.

“I was never really worried because I knew they would get it back on, but it was stressful; it’s a long time to go without seeing your wife and kids,” he said.

As he reflects on the monumental storm, Sad appreciates the diligence of CCEC’s team during even the toughest of circumstances.

“I had two objectives: keep my family safe and make sure my animals live,” he said. “To see the extent to which CCEC’s lineworkers went to help us was incredible. They’re truly not in it for themselves but for their communities.”