Even before Hurricane Michael, the Category 4 hurricane that was the largest ever to hit the Florida panhandle and one of the largest to hit anywhere in the continental U.S., made landfall, 104 lineworkers from Arkansas’ electric cooperatives were already on the way to help. They joined more than 35,000 workers from 27 states and Canada to restore power to damaged areas. Crews came from Carroll Electric Cooperative, Craighead Electric Cooperative, First Electric Cooperative, North Arkansas Electric Cooperative, Southwest Arkansas Electric Cooperative and Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc.
“This was a historic storm, and we continue to see a historic response from the crews who are working around-the-clock to restore power,” said Duane Highley, president and CEO of Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation. “Never before have so many workers been mobilized so quickly from across our industry. Workers continue to be redeployed to areas, in many cases, where the energy grid is being completely rebuilt.”