(Wisconsin) Area crews are heading to South Carolina to assist with restoration efforts following Hurricane Helene. Forty-five members from 15 Wisconsin electric cooperatives gathered in Janesville before making the trek to Aiken, South Carolina.
Among the participating Wisconsin cooperatives is the Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative. Crews heading south are prepared for a deployment that is expected to last two weeks.
The Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association assisted with logistics, including travel waivers to ensure the trucks are not delayed by highway weight restrictions. While crews were ready to head south immediately after the Helene hit, the widespread destruction in the south meant local authorities had to get infrastructure in place to be able to house and direct those traveling to the area to assist.
A “tent city” in the Aiken Electric Cooperative area has been established. Power outages in the wake of Hurricane Helene across the southeast in Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina topped 800,000.
Participating Wisconsin electric cooperatives include:
Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative
Barron Electric Cooperative
Bayfield Electric Cooperative
Chippewa Valley Electric Cooperative
Dairyland Power Cooperative
Dunn Energy Cooperative
Eau Claire Energy Cooperative
Jump River Electric Cooperative
Oakdale Electric Cooperative
Oconto Electric Cooperative
Price Electric Cooperative
Riverland Electric Cooperative
Rock Energy Cooperative
Scenic Rivers Energy Cooperative
Taylor Electric Cooperative
