OGE crews help Florida’s hurricane victims

 

In their fifth deployment of the year in helping hurricane and other storm victims, Oklahoma Gas and Electric crews are helping restore power to Hurricane Milton victims in Florida.

Millions were  without electricity following the hit the state took last week from the Category 3 storm.

At the request of Florida Power & Light, nearly 100 OG&E line crew and support personnel were standing by at a staging site in Savannah, Georgia ahead of the storm, then traveled to one of the hardest hit areas in Sarasota, Florida to repair and rebuild broken power poles and lines. Another OG&E team of 14 crew members specializing in underground lines were deployed to St. Petersburg, a community that experienced extensive damage.

Duke Energy Florida requested the specialized OG&E team’s support, as they anticipated underground lines would be heavily impacted by Milton as it directly followed flooding rains from Hurricane Helene. Both Florida electric companies requested OG&E’s support and are responsible for funding the mutual assistance to speed restoration and rebuilding efforts for their customers.

Mutual assistance crews can be deployed for up to 14 days. OG&E may rotate in additional crews if more assistance is needed. Other crews and restoration personnel will remain in place across the company’s service area in Oklahoma and western Arkansas to monitor and maintain service for customers.