We Energies Crews Helping Restore Power in Florida
Wisconsin Red Cross volunteers are also on the ground in Florida providing aid.
A We Energies crew prepares to head for Florida Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. Crews are assisting in restoring power after Hurricane Milton knocked out electricity for millions. Photo courtesy of We Energies
Wisconsinites are pitching in to help with the Hurricane Milton relief effort, from utility workers aiding in restoring power to volunteers with the American Red Cross providing aid.
Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida Wednesday night as a Category 3 hurricane that caused widespread flooding and had killed several people as of Thursday afternoon, according to NPR.
It comes as many in the southeastern United States are still recovering from Hurricane Helene, which killed more than 225 people across six states.
A combined 50 employees between We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service departed from Racine and Green Bay on Wednesday morning to assist in the recovery. They stayed in Nashville that night before heading to Florida to join crews from across the country.
“That’s what us linemen do. We like this stuff, we like to help out — we wanna be there,” WPS lineworker Todd Schoepke told WBAY-TV on Wednesday.
Roughly 100 We Energies and WPS contract workers were sent to help restore power from Hurricane Helene and are staying in the southeast to help with the Milton relief effort, said Brendan Conway, a spokesperson for the parent company of both utilities.
“It’s what we do in the utility industry, we help each other,” he said. “We all know firsthand how difficult it is to be without power, especially for an extended period of time. If we can offer some help, we’re always going to do so.”
He estimates the crews will be in Florida for the next two weeks to help restore power.
More than 100 Xcel Energy employees from Wisconsin and six other states were in Florida Thursday as well after completing power restoration efforts in Georgia following Hurricane Helene, according to the utility.
“This area of the country has been devastated by hurricane damage and we’re grateful to our crews and everyone who has worked tirelessly to restore power,” Bob Frenzel, president and CEO of Xcel Energy, said in a statement.
Xcel Energy crews prepare to help Florida utilities restore power on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. Photo Courtesy of Xcel Energy
Efforts from Helene continue into Milton
The American Red Cross of Wisconsin sent around 60 volunteers to the southeast to assist with recovery efforts from Helene and Milton, according to spokesperson Jennifer Warren.
“It’s important to rally volunteers because of the level of devastation that these disasters cause,” she said. “The folks in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina or South Carolina can’t do it by themselves. They need help.”
She said the volunteers work in shelters, helping distribute food, water and hygiene supplies. Other volunteers, she said, help provide hurricane victims with cleanup kits — containing brooms, rakes, bleach and other supplies — so they can begin to clean up their homes or neighborhoods after a natural disaster.
“We passed out 435,000 meals and snacks so far to help those affected by Helene,” Warren said.
American Red Cross volunteer Kim Mailes offers support to a man in Steinhatchee, Florida, after Hurricane Helene devastated the area on Sept. 29, 2024. Photo Courtesy of the American Red Cross
She added that residents in Florida are likely tired from back-to-back hurricanes, especially because some were still working to clean up from the devastation of Helene when Milton hit.
“Our hearts go out to everyone that has been affected by Hurricane Helene and the people that will be impacted by Hurricane Milton. And (we) will be there for as long as people need us, helping to rebuild,” Warren said.
Wisconsinites can also help the recovery effort by donating blood, or by making a financial contribution to the Red Cross to support the Helene and Milton recovery efforts, Warren said.
Wisconsin utilities, Red Cross assisting in Hurricane Milton relief effort was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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I’m being super cynical but the irony of utility companies whose fossil fuel is helping foster climate change are now applauding their efforts in cleaning up the damage caused by climate change. Quoting former news anchor Brendan Conway turned WE Energies spinmeister, “It’s what we do in the utility industry, we help each other,”. Awesome. (Maybe I missed it but not one mention of “climate change” in this article because I guess pollution is good for us. However, I did see the term “natural disaster”).