FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Twenty-two linemen from Mon Power are in Lake City, Florida awaiting word on where they need to start in assisting the repairs left by Hurricane Matthew.
“They’ll be staged there and as soon as the storm moves up and out of the way, Florida Power and Light will direct our crews on where to go,” said Mon Power Spokesman Todd Meyers speaking on MetroNews Affiliate WAJR-AM Morgantown AM.
The crews consist of regular linemen along with maintenance and supervisory crews. Florida Power and Light requested 5,000 additional personnel from other utilities and contractors throughout the East Coast including First Energy, which provided 250 linemen, 22 from Mon Power. Meyers said it was fortunate they were able to spare the hands.
“When we saw the storm track was not going to come up the coast and affect us, we felt comfortable enough to send a contingency down,” he said.
Meyers said the work done in the wake of the Hurricane will be a a repayment in many ways after the Derecho and Hurricane Sandy’s blizzard impact on West Virginia.
“It’s the way the utility industry works,” Meyers explained. “There is no utility in the United States that has enough linemen sitting in a big building waiting to repair damage after the snowstorm or Derecho and as well with hurricanes. The way this industry works is through mutual assistance.”
Forecasters have warned the damage from the storm could be catastrophic. Already several hundred thousand people have lost power. The cleanup and repairs could take weeks to repair. Officials expect Matthew to be one of the most destructive hurricanes in recent memory to the U.S. East Coast.