Local utility companies head to Florida to help restore power lost in hurricane

AEP/Southwestern Electirc Power Co. and Southwest Arkansas REA employees are among those heading to areas affected by Hurricane Irma to help restore power.

About 22 local AEP/SWEPCO employees are among a team of about 233 employees and contractors who are going to assist Duke Energy Florida, said Scott McCloud, AEP/SWEPCO spokesman.

“Just as SWEPCO uses a mutual assistance network to call in additional resources for major storms, utilities in Florida and other states have been calling in crews for their recovery effort. Crews from all five SWEPCO districts left today,” McCloud said Monday.

Meanwhile, other SWEPCO crews returned safely Saturday after a two-week assignment helping sister company AEP Texas recover from Hurricane Harvey.

Also, Southwest Arkansas REA, based in Texarkana, is joining several of the state’s electric cooperatives to send 145 linemen and equipment to assist with major power outage restoration in Florida and South Carolina.

Kevin Riddle, who coordinates mutual aid assistance arrangements for Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, said he has been working closely with cooperatives in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia and other affected states, and is coordinating the effort for Arkansas cooperative crews.

About 100 of the linemen will focus their efforts in cooperatives in South Carolina, while 45 linemen will assist in restoring service in Florida. He said Arkansas electric cooperative crews began rolling east over the weekend and all crews were on the road Monday to begin assistance efforts. Riddle said the number of Arkansas crews may increase as damage assessments are finalized by cooperatives in impacted areas.