More than 100 Delmarva Power employees and contractors have been sent to Louisiana to help restore power.
More than 100 Delmarva Power employees and contractors have been sent to Louisiana to help restore electricity for customers impacted by Hurricane Ida.
“Energy companies from across the country have supported our responses to major storms here, and we are glad to return the favor,” said Gary Stockbridge, region president of Delmarva Power in a press release. “We are proud of our dedicated employees and contractors who are answering the call for help to support what is expected to be a monumental restoration effort.”
The company’s emergency preparedness teams had been monitoring Hurricane Ida’s development to ensure resources could be directed where and when they were needed.
The crews are still in transit and are expected to arrive in Louisiana on Wednesday, according to company spokesman Timothy Stokes.
The employees and contractors will be in Louisiana for two weeks while they assist with recovery efforts, but the company assures customers that they continue to track potential effects of storms in the Delmarva area and remain prepared to support normal operations and any necessary restoration activities.
“We continue to monitor local weather conditions and are preparing for any potential issues at this time but we are confident in our available resources,” Stokes said. “We have additional internal line mechanics and other field workers that we have for local overhead lines and overhead work that will be taking place here so we are fully prepared here to manage the energy system.”
Delmarva Power regularly sends crews and support personnel to assist energy companies in the Mid-Atlantic region and across the country as part of regional mutual assistance networks. Crews from other regions have similarly sent crews to the Delmarva region in the aftermath of destructive storms.
Stokes said that while crews are being paid for their work in Louisiana, they go on a volunteer basis.
The National Weather Service has reclassified Ida as a tropical depression and anticipates effects of the storm will be felt in Delaware between Wednesday and Thursday.
Heavy thunderstorms are expected across the state and Kent and New Castle counties remain under a flash flood watch.
Send story tips or ideas to Charlie Megginson at [email protected] or (302) 344-8293.
Charlie Megginson covers government and politics for Delaware LIVE News. Reach him at (302) 344-8293 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @cmegginson4.
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