Power for Progress: Neighbors helping neighbors after the storm

Mutual Aid
This lineman was one of several from Oklahoma who traveled to Florida in late August to help restore power near Tallahassee and Live Oak, Florida, following the damage caused by Hurricane Idalia. Their efforts were part of the American Public Power Association’s mutual aid program.

Power for Progress…

A weekly column from the Grand River Dam Authority

Neighbors helping neighbors after the storm

Even as Hurricane Idalia was moving across Florida in late August, crews from the Grand River Dam Authority and other public power utilities were already preparing to lend a hand with power restoration efforts. 

Early on Tuesday, August 29, a crew of 15 GRDA employees left before dawn to travel to Florida as part of a national American Public Power Association (APPA) mutual aid effort. Joined along the route by electric crews from the public power communities of Skiatook and Edmond, the Oklahoma contingent staged in Alabama, just outside Idalia’s path, and moved in to begin work as soon as conditions allowed. 

Although Oklahoma is far from the hurricane zones, GRDA and other Oklahoma public power crews have provided plenty of assistance over the years to help rebuild what Mother Nature takes apart. Following storms such as Rita, Irma, Matthew, and others, GRDA linemen and police officers have responded to Florida, North Carolina, Louisiana, and Texas to help put power lines back in the air or assist with water rescue efforts.

This time our crews helped get the lights back on in Tallahassee, before moving over to help the Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative around Live Oak. The service areas of both utilities were hit hard by the hurricane.

Of course, when GRDA personnel move in to assist with storm restoration, they take a wealth of knowledge with them. It is knowledge they have gained on power restoration efforts following ice storms, tornadoes, microbursts, wildfires, and other incidents that can damage the energy delivery system.  At the same time, those events have helped our crews hone their skills while working together safety and quickly to get the job done, time and time again.

Although public power utilities are located across the country, when it comes time to assist in restoration efforts, it’s a “neighbors helping neighbors” effort. GRDA is proud to be a part of this mutual aid effort to get the lights back on.

GRDA is Oklahoma’s public power utility; fully funded by revenues from electric and water sales instead of taxes. Each day, GRDA strives to be an “Oklahoma agency of excellence” by focusing on the 5 E’s: electricity, economic development, environmental stewardship, employees, and efficiency.