Georgia Power’s Ida Storm Teams Home Following Safe, Successful Restoration
Monday, September 20th, 2021
Georgia Power’s storm teams, dispatched to help restore power through the Mutual Assistance Network after Hurricane Ida’s devastating landfall in Louisiana and Mississippi, have returned safely to Georgia this week after a 17-day deployment.
“Our teams did incredible work, replacing literally hundreds of broken poles and nearly two-thousand spans of downed wire in an effort exceeding two weeks in harsh conditions,” said David Maske, Georgia Power’s Storm Center Director. “First helping our sister company, Mississippi Power, and then assisting Entergy, in Louisiana, we’re very proud of the work these teams did and glad they have returned safely to their families. We also appreciate those who worked here at home to ensure our customers were taken care of while their teammates were away.”
Georgia Power’s storm team, including line crews, engineers, fleet, safety, security, leadership and support personnel from around the state, leaned on their knowledge and deep experience with storms in efficiently attacking the work plan each day. Overall tallies through the end of the restoration effort showed 475 broken poles replaced and 1,850 spans of wire repaired on the Entergy system, restoring power to tens of thousands of customers.
In addition to the challenges of heat and fatigue, with multiple restoration crews from different utilities working in close proximity to one another, crews took special efforts in communicating and establishing proper clearance points and procedures before neighborhood power grids were restored to make sure everyone stayed safe.
To show appreciation and support, Georgia Power’s chairman, president and CEO Chris Womack, and other executives travelled to Louisiana to visit with the team during the deployment.
Teams returned to their various operating headquarters around the state in various stages this week.
