Wiregrass Electric deploys 6-person crew to help region recover from Ian

HARTFORD, Ala. (Press Release) - A six-person crew from Wiregrass Electric Cooperative departed headquarters at sundown Thursday and headed to Central Florida to assist in repairing power outages caused by Hurricane Ian.

WEC’s team is joining other workers from electric co-ops based in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas to help Peace River Electric Cooperative in its power restoration efforts. PRECO serves more than 50,000 homes and businesses in Brevard, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Manatee, Osceola, Polk and Sarasota counties.

“We are proud of our guys for their willingness to lend a hand to fellow cooperatives in times like these,” WEC Chief Operating Officer Brad Kimbro said. “It can take a lot of time to restore power safely as crews face wreckage and flooding conditions left by a storm. Extra help can turn the lights back on faster and give other crews some much-needed relief. We welcome any opportunity to help our neighbor. It’s the Wiregrass way and the right thing to do.”

Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida as a Category 4 storm and knocked out power in 90% of PRECO’s service area. Heavy rains caused historic flooding that washed away roads and submerged bridges, making much of the area inaccessible by late Thursday.

By Saturday, more than 500 line workers and contractors will unite to repair damage caused by this historic storm.

“This massive effort is necessary to restore power in as short a time as possible,” PRECO CEO Randy Shaw said. “These crews will continue working until service is restored to all who can accept power.”

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