UPDATE: SLEMCO crews left Tuesday for Mississippi to help restore power there. Shortly after the crews left, SLEMCO got word that Twin County EPA had completed their damage assessment. They are reporting some 1,200 power poles down due to ice accumulation on both power lines and trees.
Here are some photos from this morning:
ORIGINAL STORY:
SLEMCO line workers will depart early tomorrow morning for Twin County Electric Power Association in Hollendale, Mississippi to assist with power restoration in the wake of Winter Storm Fern.
Approximately 80% of their 12,600 customers are still without power, as of Monday afternoon. At least 300 main line poles are down due to the ice storm.
Thirty-one highly-skilled line workers and support staff are making the trip. SLEMCO’s relief crews will include a variety of specialized crews and equipment. They will be equipped with material handlers, digger-derricks, pole trailers, four-wheel drive trucks, flatbed trailers, side-by-side off-road vehicles and a mechanic truck with parts trailer.
“Lending a hand when other electric cooperatives need additional manpower to restore power in the wake of a major storm is one of the key principles of being a cooperative,” explains SLEMCO Communications Coordinator Mary Laurent. “Cooperatives helping cooperatives is a core value of all electric cooperatives, no matter where they are located. There’s never a hesitation to provide mutual aid after natural disasters. You simply load-up and head out because next time your cooperative could be the one needing help.”
SLEMCO provides electric power to 120,000 customers in Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin and Vermilion Parish.
