Friday, September 1, 2023

MS electrics on way to Fla., Ga.

LAUREL Miss. - Florida is starting to recover from Cat 3 Hurricane Idalia. Now, Mississippi cooperatives - and Mississippi Power - are stepping in to help. There are still more than 18,000 outages throughout Central Florida Electric Cooperative in need of repair.

“We’ll have to replace poles, replace lines, build services back, reconstruct main feeders, along those lines,” Dixie Electric Power Association line foreman Adron Presley. “Mutual aid is a great thing. We’re honored to go help them. They come and help us all the time when we need help.” 

Electric cooperatives across Mississippi are packing and traveling to Florida to aid those who were affected by the hurricane Idalia. For many, this will be not their first rodeo helping another cooperative after tragedy strikes. 

Over the past three decades, personnel have gone to help others with "some type of storm,” Dixie Electric line construction supervisor Tommy Ulmer said.

Some of those going to Florida recall Hurricane Katrina and remembering having neighboring cooperatives come to help. Dixie Electric will be in Florida for seven to 10 days. 

More than 150 crew members from Southern Pine Electric Power Association and Pearl River Valley Electric have departed for Florida. 

Additionally, more than 200 workers from Mississippi Power were sent to Georgia. (WDAM 08/31/23) 

Comeback Coolers packed in Mississippi for Florida hurricane victims: Comeback Coolers delivering items to help people affected by Hurricane Idalia (wlox.com) 

Jackson Red Cross to aid hurricane victims: Red Cross volunteers from Jackson area assisting Hurricane Idalia victims (wlbt.com)

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