Power crews from Berks County, Pennsylvania, are assisting in the restoration of electricity in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The hurricane has left over a million people without power in the Carolinas and Georgia. Utility companies PPL and FirstEnergy have dispatched crews to the affected areas to expedite the restoration process.
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, bringing extreme winds, storm surge, and flash flooding along the entire west coast of the Florida Peninsula and Florida's Big Bend region. The storm also affected parts of Georgia, South Carolina, and western North Carolina.
FirstEnergy Corp. has sent approximately 200 line workers and support personnel to assist Duke Energy Carolinas and Georgia Power with anticipated power restoration efforts. Wade Smith, President of FirstEnergy Utilities, stated, "FirstEnergy employees are committed to supporting the anticipated large-scale power restoration efforts along the U.S. southeast coast. Aiding communities in rebuilding their power grids after severe weather events is where their expertise shines."
The mutual assistance effort includes crews from Penn Power, Penelec, West Penn Power, and Met-Ed in Pennsylvania; Mon Power in West Virginia; Potomac Edison in West Virginia and Maryland; and Jersey Central Power & Light in New Jersey.
The restoration efforts are expected to be a daunting task, with hundreds of roads remaining closed, especially in the Carolinas, hampering the delivery of badly-needed supplies. Despite the challenges, the utility companies are hopeful that most of their customers will have power restored by the end of the week.