Electric cooperatives are banding together to respond to the devastation left by Hurricane Michael, which battered the Southeast after slamming into the Florida Panhandle as a Category 4 hurricane. NRECA, statewide organizations and co-ops in the affected states are coordinating with industry and federal government agencies through the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC).
• Co-op outages in Florida as of 9 a.m. Friday: 42,278
• Georgia co-op outage map
• North Carolina co-op outage map
• South Carolina co-op outage map
Mutual Aid
Electric co-op line crews from at least 15 states are mobilizing to support power restoration efforts in Michael’s impact zone.
Power Restoration
The following graphic shows the process of power restoration after a major storm.
For questions, please contact Stephen Bell (Stephen.Bell@nreca.coop, 571-205-7719).
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Hurricane Michael photo gallery
A crew from Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative deservedly rests after a long day of restoration work. (Photo: SVEC)
A crew from Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative told a member he couldn’t get his lights on until he repaired his weatherhead. So, he opened a box of new waterproof rubber boots, cut the bottom off one of them and mounted it. (Photo: SVEC)
Macon Electric Cooperative crews noted more progress as the storm assistance reached a week helping Talquin Electric Cooperative in Florida's panhandle. (Photo: Paul Newton)
Aiken Electric Cooperative lineman Cameron Allen removes a tree that had fallen on a distribution line in Aiken County, SC. (Photo:Aiken Electric)
Crews from Cobb EMC are still hard at work, alongside crews at Mitchell EMC. A sign welcomes residents home to the Mitchell service area. (Photo: Cobb EMC)
Linemen from Corn Belt Energy in Central Illinois worked in temperatures almost 50 degrees warmer than back home while assisting co-ops in North Carolina and Florida. (Photo: Corn Belt Energy)
A bird's-eye view of repair work from the bucket of one of the 104 linemen Arkansas electric cooperatives sent to help in Georgia and Florida.
Flint Energies crews pull out before the sun rises to restore power knocked out by Michael. Flint Energies is in central Georgia. (Photo: Flint Energies)
Amicalola EMC sent two crews to middle and south Georgia. The crews helped Oconee EMC, Dudley, GA, then were routed to the Grady EMC, Cairo, GA. Left to right: Josh Martin, Clayton Patterson, Chris Harlowe, Burt Dotson, Alan Holt, Nathan West, Rozier Wingate, Ethan Chastain, Steve Eller and David Hollingshead.
Upper Cumberland EMC assisted Flint Energies with repairing lines downed by massive trees near Haynesville, Georgia. (Photo: Flint Energies)
Washington EMC crew members from Sandersville, GA, are heading to help Mitchell EMC in Camilla. Lineman Johnny Wilson said he is excited to go help out, knowing It's going to to be long and hard work but worth it. (Photo: WEMC)
Florida Keys Electric Cooperative linemen lend assistance to Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative. The FKEC crews were originally requested by Central Florida Electric Co-op, however after the storm passed they reported to Try-County where they worked for a day or so before moving to Gulf Coast EC. (Photo: Rudy Vega, FKEC)
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Andy Lawrence, Director of Operations with Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative, stands at left with the 14 linemen and right-of-way crewmen he led to the Florida Panhandle to help Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative. They left shortly before dawn on Saturday. (Photo: SVEC)
Little Red School House and Tallahassee Blastwerks provided welcome pizza, wings, drinks and snacks to the crews of hard-hit Talquin Electric Cooperative in Florida. (Photo: TEC)
Florida Keys Electric Cooperative linemen lend assistance to Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative on Oct. 15. (Photo: Andy Baxter, FKEC)
The crew from Glades Electric Cooperative stopped first to help Suwanee Valley Electric Cooperative in Live Oak, then were released to help Tri County Electric Cooperative in Madison, FL. The traveling crew was then sent to their current location, West Florida Cooperative in Bonifay, FL. (Photo: GEC)
South Kentucky RECC crews worked as long as daylight held out Oct. 15, helping out Middle GA EMC. Their hard work has paid off as everyone's power there has been restored. The crews are now headed to Three Notch EMC in Donalsonville, GA. (Photo: South Kentucky RECC)
Emma brightened the day for a few Blue Ridge Energy line technicians, bringing water and thank you cards from a grateful community. Blue Ridge is helping Duke Energy restore power in central North Carolina. (Photo: BRE)
Crews work into sunset in Dooly County to restore power for Middle Georgia EMC. (Photo: MGEMC)
Warren RECC in Bowling Green, KY, sent 28 full time and contract linemen and 21 trucks to aid in restoration efforts. Crews began work at Washington EMC in Sandersville, GA, on Thursday. Over the weekend, they were released and sent to Grady EMC in Cairo, GA. (Photo: WRECC)
Crews working in Dooly County to restore power for Middle Georgia EMC. (Photo: MGEMC)
Blue Ridge Energy assisted crews at sister co-op Energy United EMC, working before daylight and into dark to get power restored for EU members in heavily damaged areas near Charlotte, NC. (Photo: BRE)
Florida Gov. Rick Scott stopped by Talquin Electric Cooperative headquarters Saturday to personally thank the linemen who are assisting in the restoration effort. (Photo: Talquin Electric)
Missouri crews worked well into the night Saturday turning on power for thousands of Talquin Electric Cooperative members facing outages after Hurricane Michael. (Photo: Rural Missouri Magazine)
Singing River Electric crews gather for a briefing before leaving around 5 a.m. Sunday. Singing River joined four Mississippi electric co-ops leaving to assist West Florida Electric. Three more Mississippi co-ops will leave Monday morning. (Photo: Singing River Electric)
Missouri crews assisting Talquin Electric Cooperative came across an unwelcome helper Saturday in Florida's panhandle. (Photo: Rural Missouri Magazine)
Missouri crews worked well into the night Saturday turning on power for thousands of Talquin Electric Cooperative members facing outages after Hurricane Michael. (Photo: Rural Missouri Magazine)
A Missouri crew working to turn lights back on in Talquin Electric Cooperative territory had to clear unwanted bridges across power lines in Florida's panhandle. (Photo: Rural Missouri Magazine)
Missouri crews coming to the aid of Talquin Electric Cooperative were praised by Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who stopped by Talquin headquarters Saturday to personally thank the linemen who are assisting in the restoration. Photo: Rural Missouri Magazine)
Linemen from Canoochee EMC perform an aerial ballet over water in Evans County, GA., to disengage a fallen tree from a downed power line. (Photo: Canoochee EMC)
Talquin Electric Cooperative continues to repair lines damaged by fallen trees Oct. 12. (Photo: Talquin Electric)
Duck River EMC crews from Tennessee assist Colquitt EMC, which is headquartered in Moultrie, GA, in clearing trees from power lines. Twelve DREMC linemen and two supervisor/managers volunteered to head to Southern Georgia to help.
Dixie Electric Cooperative crews ready replacement poles, helping to restore power to sister cooperative Pea River in Ozark, AL.
NOAA aerial photograph shows the complete devastation of Mexico Beach on the Florida panhandle. (Photo: NOAA)
Middle Tennessee Electric crews started their work day with Excelsior EMC in Georgia at 5 a.m. on Oct. 12. Journeyman lineman Nathan Neal said, "It's been really busy. But it's so rewarding to help all these people and makes me very thankful for Middle Tennessee Electric." (Photo: MidTnElectric)
Early Oct. 12, eight Tri-County Electric linemen, two bucket trucks and two digger trucks headed to assist Diverse Power in LaGrange, GA. The linemen providing assistance are: Daniel Cherry, Casey Cole, Holden Davis, Mark Geralds, Wes Hancock, Holden Pitts, Tucker Scroggy and Chris Thomason. (Photo: TCEMC)
Sequachee Valley EC crew continues to change poles for Mitchell EMC as the sun sets in Georgia Oct. 11. (Photo: Sequachee Valley EC)
Crews work to restore service in the Talquin Electric Cooperative territory Oct. 11. (Photo:Talquin EC)
Missouri crews helping Talquin Electric Cooperative in Quincy, FL, faced daunting challenges Oct. 11. They had to saw for three hours to reach the co-op headquarters. (Photo: Rural Missouri Magazine)
Missouri co-op responders had to clear the road of fallen trees on their way to Talquin Electric Cooperative headquarters in Quincy, FL. (Photo: Rural Missouri Magazine)
Restoring lines along Highway 92, across from Stewart Farms in Laurens County. John Earl, crew supervisor for Laurens Electric Cooperative in upstate South Carolina, supplied this photo.
Tri-County Electric Cooperative crews repaired outages into the night Wednesday, when almost 6,000 meters were without power. By sunrise Oct. 11, it was down to 2,942. (Photo: TCEC)
Brandon Smith, Brandon Jones, Holland Brown, Ben Daniel, Trent Brimer, David Sales, from Coweta-Fayette EMC, head to the aid of Mitchell EMC in Camilla, GA.
Peace River Electric Cooperative lineworkers embarked to Florida’s panhandle to help Tri-County Electric Cooperative restore power and repair damage. Peace River is headquartered in Wauchula, FL. (Photo: PRECO)
Linemen Austin Clark, Doug Worley, Jason Edmondson, Chad Duncan, Wes Long, Curtis Baker, and Bubba Procte, from Coweta-Fayette EMC, head to assist in recovery efforts at Altamaha EMC, headquartered in Lyons, GA.
Lineman Travis Sharber, from Middle Tennessee EC, took this photo while the crew was en route to Statesboro, GA, to assist Excelsior EMC. (Photo: Travis Sharber)
Crews from Dixie Electric in Montgomery, AL. headed out to assist Pea River EC with power restoration. Approximately 11,000 members are without power there. (Photo: Dixie Electric)
Linemen Terry Jones, Corey Hendricks, Steven Robinson, Bobby Smith, Dell McWaters, and Josh Philpot, from Coweta-Fayette EMC, head to help Flint Energies, located near Warner Robins, GA
Appalachian Electric Cooperative from New Market, TN, rushed to aid Talquin Electric Cooperative in Quincy, Florida. (Photo: Talquin EC)
Members of the Florida National Guard CERF-P team cleared debris from a roadway in an effort to reach communities cut off by Michael. (Photo: FLNG)
After receiving a mutual aid request, one Grundy Electric Cooperative crew of four-linemen and two trucks left early Oct. 10 from Trenton, MO, for Talquin Electric Cooperative located in Quincy, Florida. (Photo: Grundy Electric Coop)
Crews from Middle Tennessee Electric in Murfreesboro prepare to head down to Georgia to assist with restoration efforts from Hurricane Michael. (Photo: Middle Tennessee Electric)
This GOES-East satellite image shows Hurricane Michael shortly after it officially made landfall Wednesday afternoon. (Image Courtesy NOAA)
Baldwin EMC in Summerdale, AL, will be sending up to 35 employees to assist Wiregrass Electric Cooperative (WEC) in power restoration efforts following the landfall of Hurricane Michael. (Photo: Baldwin EMC)
FEMA Region 4 staff monitor Michael's progress at Oct. 10 operational briefing in Atlanta. Region 4 serves: AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN.
A crew from Cuivre River Electric Cooperative prepares to help repair damage expected fromHurricane Michael. The crews left Missouri on Oct. 10 and staged in Alabama ahead of the storm. (Photo: CREC)
Tri-County Electric is joining other Missouri co-ops to assist crews at Talquin Electric Cooperative in Florida. (Photo: Tri-County Electric)
As Hurricane Michael approaches the Gulf Coast, operation crews from Sequachee Valley EC set out for Mitchell EMC in Camilla, GA. (Photo: Sequachee Valley EC)
Florida National Guard personnel attend a briefing on Hurricane Michael on Oct. 10. (Photo: FLNG)
Two 5 men crews from Southwest Tennessee EMC left from Brownsville Oct. 10 to help with recovery efforts in Cairo, GA. (Photo: STEMC
Talquin Electric Cooperative in Quincy, FL., had workers pulling meters in the Shell Point, Live Oak Island, and Spring Creek areas in anticipation of hurricane damage. (Photo: Talquin Electric)
Hurricane Michael all but covers the Florida panhandle early Oct. 10. (Satellite image courtesy of NOAA)
Lori Burrows and Duane Highley (center) of Arkansas Electric Cooperatives worked with Clinton School of Public Service graduate students on a video promoting cooperation to meet community challenges. (Photo By: AECC)
More NRECA Resources on Hurricane Michael:
• Social Media Roundup: See How Co-ops Are Responding to the Storm
• NRECA Supporting Electric Co-ops in Michael’s Path
• Tracking the Co-op Response to Michael
• ‘We Do a Job That Not Everybody Can Do’: A Q&A With Florida Mutual Aid Crewmembers