4-County sending crews to Florida

Two 4-County Electric Power Association crews left this morning on their way to assist Escambia River Electric Cooperative in Florida with power restoration efforts after Hurricane Sally swept through their service area Sept. 15.

The 4-County crews (13 men total) left this morning, carrying with them three bucket trucks, two digger derrick trucks and two crew trucks.

This morning, about 80 percent all of Escambia River Electric’s 11,450 members were without power. Hurricane Sally caused widespread damage with high winds, pounding rain and storm surge, breaking poles and downing power lines.

Escambia River Electric, serving Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in the Florida panhandle, has 1,800 miles of energized line.

Rural electric cooperatives throughout the nation share a reciprocal agreement with each other to provide help to sister cooperatives in times of crisis. 4-County will send crews and equipment, if needed, to assist in the restoration of power lines, poles and substations damaged by wind, storm surge and other elements of hurricane-related weather. Two 4-County crews returned to Mississippi earlier this week after assisting Beauregard Electric Cooperative for several days in their Hurricane Laura storm restoration efforts.

“We are glad to be in a position to send this assistance to help restore power Escambia River Electric Cooperative members in need. We are in the midst of hurricane season. Our system and members have been the recipients of assistance from other electric cooperatives in the past, and we are always glad to be able to help others when they need assistance. That’s the cooperative way,” said 4-County Manager of Operations Anthony Miller.