(WFRV) – Forty-five crew members from 15 Wisconsin electric cooperatives left for South Carolina on Thursday to assist with storm recovery after Hurricane Helene left catastrophic damage.
Crews gathered at Rock Energy Cooperative in Janesville before making the trek to Aiken Electric Cooperative in Aiken, South Carolina.
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While the number of power outages across the Southeast in Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina topped 800,000, that’s not the whole story.
Hurricane Helene caused damage and, in some areas, complete decimation.
“In parts of South Carolina, where our Wisconsin crews are heading, it’s not just a restoration, but a complete rebuild,” said Rob Richard, Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association (WECA) interim president and CEO. “Full substations and the roads that lead to them are completely washed away. Even the underground lines are gone. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who are impacted.”
Crews heading south are prepared for a two-week deployment. While crews were ready to head south immediately after Hurricane Helene hit, the widespread destruction in the South meant local authorities had to put the infrastructure in place to house and direct those to the area to assist.
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“Restoring power in this area is going to be a monumental effort,” said Tim Clay, WECA vice president of operations. “We offer our gratitude and appreciation for the crews heading south to assist with this crisis, who will be working in challenging conditions, including mountainous terrain and extensive flooding. The work will be physically challenging, with off-road restoration and much climbing. Safety will be paramount as they work to assist in this unprecedented event.”
Participating Wisconsin electric cooperatives include:
- Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative
- Barron Electric Cooperative
- Bayfield Electric Cooperative
- Chippewa Valley Electric Cooperative
- Dairyland Power Cooperative
- Dunn Energy Cooperative
- Eau Claire Energy Cooperative
- Jump River Electric Cooperative
- Oakdale Electric Cooperative
- Oconto Electric Cooperative
- Price Electric Cooperative
- Riverland Electric Cooperative
- Rock Energy Cooperative
- Scenic Rivers Energy Cooperative
- Taylor Electric Cooperative
“Concern for community” and “cooperation among cooperatives” are among the principles on which cooperatives are built, and the Wisconsin crews will join electric cooperatives from at least nine other states in the effort.
