By Kevin Doyle
As our communities across the Southeast recover from the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene, it’s crucial that we recognize the extraordinary efforts of the utility workers who have worked tirelessly to restore power and bring normalcy back to our lives.
The scale of the response to Hurricane Helene is truly unprecedented. Almost 50,000 utility workers from at least 40 states and Canada poured into the region to supercharge the restoration efforts across the 10 states upon which Helene wreaked havoc. Nearly 6 million customers lost power since Sept. 27, and nearly 73% had their power back in four days.
To understand why that reconnection rate is so impressive, consider this fact: Georgia Power declared Helene the most destructive hurricane in the company’s history. The damage level is daunting and the utility said the work being done was more like rebuilding the grid rather than replacing specific elements. The damaged elements include more than 8,000 power poles that must be replaced or repaired; more than 700 miles of wires and 1,500 transformers.
That is just Georgia’s damage tally, but the tale is the same across the swath Helene struck – damage so catastrophic that critical infrastructure must be completely rebuilt.
The visiting utility workers’ efforts directly supported the work of our home-team utilities, who always work rapidly to get the lights back despite facing some of the worst tropical storm activity in the country. Workers from Florida Power & Light, TECO, Georgia Power, Chesapeake, JEA, Florida’s electricity co-operatives, Duke and Georgia’s electric membership co-operatives all worked long hours in challenging and dangerous conditions, including flooding, downed trees, and widespread debris.
In a word, the name of the game is preparation for the expected unexpected – the inevitable arrival of destructive storms is only a question of when, not if, in this part of the country.
Utility workers are genuine first responders, working alongside emergency services to ensure the safety and well-being of affected communities. They are instrumental in helping our region begin the process of recovery and rebuilding – in particular by prioritizing critical facilities such as hospitals, emergency response centers, and essential infrastructure.
The coordination between utility companies, state officials, and local authorities across the 10 affected states is classic American can-do spirit in action. Too often, this kind of response is not appreciated for the scale and speed at which it happens.
To all the utility workers participating in this monumental effort: thank you. America needs more solidarity, service and resilience like this, especially in times of crisis.
Kevin Doyle is the Vice President of State Affairs and Southeast Executive Director for Consumer Energy Alliance
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