SLEMCO mutual-aid storm crews are departing today, headed to Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative on Florida’s West Coast to assist in power restoration after Hurricane Milton makes landfall.
Withlacoochee Electric is headquartered in Dade City, just 40 miles north of Tampa Bay where the storm is expected to make landfall sometime late Wednesday as a Major Hurricane.
SLEMCO’s storm team consists of 30 electric line workers with a variety of skillsets including overhead and underground linemen, tree trimmers, servicemen, and substation specialists. Safety and mechanic personnel will be traveling with them to assist in the recovery effort, to assure crew safety and equipment maintenance or repair.
In addition to Digger Derrick trucks, Material Handler trucks, extended boom Tree Trimming trucks, pole trailers, and smaller bucket trucks, SLEMCO crews will also be bringing off-road equipment equipped to inspect and assess damage and move heavy debris or fallen trees out of work areas.
"The 2024 hurricane season has been especially challenging the last few weeks and the next few weeks won’t be any different as mutual-aid crews from all parts of the country head to Florida to assist with power restoration. We know that if the situation were reversed, the electric cooperatives we are assisting now, would head our way in an instant," a release from SLEMCO states.
We'll have more on this later today on KATC TV3.
