Kentucky lineworkers nearing end of Hurricane Michael restoration

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WTVQ) – After weeks of working in southern Georgia helping to restore power in the wake of Hurricane Michael, crews from 16 Kentucky electric cooperatives are completing their part of the effort.

As of Tuesday morning, fewer than 5,000 people were without power in southern Georgia, down from the peak of 210,000.  Crews from three of the cooperatives have returned home.

Kentucky co-ops that remain in the are are Blue Grass Energy, Fleming Mason Energy, Gibson Energy Cooperative, Inter-County Energy, Jackson Energy Cooperative, Jackson Purchase Energy, Kenergy Corp., Licking Valley RECC, Owen Electric Cooperative, Pennyrile Electric, Salt River Electric, Warren RECC and West Kentucky RECC.

In addition, members of the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives’ Safety Team have been stationed in the area to help local co-ops with coordination of crews.

If work continues as planned, all Kentucky lineworkers will be released by the end of the week.

During their two-plus weeks in Georgia the crews have faced:

• Debris. Fallen trees and other debris have made it difficult to access certain areas. In some areas, debris has been removed from the roadway on top of the downed lines and poles, making it necessary to remove debris before starting to repair the lines.
• Living conditions. Due to limited lodging options, some crews have slept in tent cities, churches and gymnasiums across the area.
• 16-18-hour days. Crews have been starting their days around 5:30 am and not returning to camp until after 10 pm.
• Pests. In southern Georgia, the highs are still in the mid-80, and crews have had to deal with fire ants and swarms of bug-spray-resistant gnats.

The top priority of each local Kentucky co-op is service to its own consumer-members. Before committing resources to mutual aid requests, each co-op ensures it has ample crews available for all local needs, including routine maintenance and emergencies.

Because the national network of transmission and distribution infrastructure owned by electric cooperatives is built to federal standards, line crews from any co-op in America can arrive on the scene ready to provide emergency support, secure in their knowledge of the system’s engineering.