As millions of people on the East Coast struggled Monday night without power, a 53-person crew from Utah pressed east in large utility vehicles that can help repair downed lines.
The caravan, which can only go 65 mph, was expected to arrive in Georgia by Tuesday night, said Rocky Mountain Power spokesman Spencer Hall. “They’re timing it to get there just as the storm passes through,” Hall said. ”Power is one of the most important things” in a crisis.
Crew members — including 30 linemen, nine managers, two mechanics and 12 contract journeymen — will work under the direction of Georgia Power once they arrive. They are among the power crews from across the country on their way to help.
”It’s almost like their workforce just gets expanded,” Hall said.
Once there, the workers plan to repair downed lines, utility poles and substations in Florida and other southeastern states that may have been damaged in the hurricane.
The crew plans to stay in the area for 10 days, Hall said, but is “flexible” and will stay if needed to help with damage that may occur from Hurricane Jose, charted to travel a similar course.
Rocky Mountain Power isn’t the only group from Utah to send out volunteers to assist sister companies in crisis.
When the Hospital Corporation of America asked for volunteers from Utah’s Timpanogos Regional Hospital, 44 nurses responded, said spokesman Michael Graul.
So far, six have been dispatched to hospitals in northern and western Florida to aid with injured evacuees and relieve medical personnel whose family and friends may have been affected by the storm, Graul said. A few others were “on call” Monday, he added, waiting to see if they were needed on the East Coast.
It’s beneficial to be part of the national network, Graul said, because “if we ever had a natural disaster here, they could send nurses to come and help us.”
There were also more than 85 local volunteers who joined teams from the Red Cross in relief efforts, according to a Friday news release from the organization. Thousands of volunteers have already helped with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Texas, but as Irma approached the U.S., the nonprofit was ready to “mobilize and respond and adapt.”