Georgia shows appreciation to Alabama Power crews during Hurricane Helene restoration

Published On: 10.09.24 |

By: Michael Tomberlin

Georgia shows appreciation to Alabama Power crews during Hurricane Helene restoration

Alabama Power and its contractor crews received as they gave during Hurricane Helene restoration in Georgia. (contributed)

Alabama Power teams and crews supported Georgia in the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Helene and received support and appreciation from residents of the Peachtree State.

After assisting those affected in Alabama, Alabama Power sent more than 1,000 workers and more than 500 contractors east to assist sister company Georgia Power with restoration efforts in the harder-hit state.

Alabama Power crews assisted in areas that saw major damage, including Augusta, Savannah, Macon and Valdosta, where they replaced more than 2,700 poles, 1,150 transformers and 11,850 spans of wire.

While they were there to restore power, Alabama Power crews were energized by the outpouring of support and appreciation.

It started when Alabama Power and their contractor crews with Utility Lines Construction Services (ULCS) arrived Saturday, Oct. 5. A team of ULCS contractor crews were so committed to getting power restored that they chose to sleep in their trucks rather than stay two hours away at a crew staging facility.

Kathryn Sturkie of Georgia Power learned about this and had a pretty good idea something better could be done for the crews in nearby Millen, Georgia. How did Sturkie know this? Her dad, King Rocker, is the mayor of Millen.

After some searching and conversations, the Jenkins County High School gymnasium was converted into a temporary crew staging area, complete with cots from Jenkins County Emergency Management Agency and support from members of Millen Baptist Church.

Utility Lines Construction Services crews from Alabama stayed at Jenkins County High School gymnasium while working to restore power after Hurricane Helene. (contributed)

Volunteers set up cots for Alabama crews in the Jenkins County High School gymnasium. (contributed)

Georgia Power and Alabama Power purchased bedding for the crews staying at Jenkins County High School gymnasium. (contributed)

Alabama crews would return to the Jenkins County High School gymnasium to find notes and cookies from children. (contributed)

Volunteers set up cots for Alabama crews in the Jenkins County High School gymnasium. (contributed)

Georgia Power and Alabama Power purchased bedding for the crews staying at Jenkins County High School gymnasium. (contributed)

Alabama crews would return to the Jenkins County High School gymnasium to find notes and cookies from children. (contributed)

Volunteers set up cots for Alabama crews in the Jenkins County High School gymnasium. (contributed)

Alabama crews would return to the Jenkins County High School gymnasium to find notes and cookies from children. (contributed)

Volunteers set up cots for Alabama crews in the Jenkins County High School gymnasium. (contributed)

Alabama crews would return to the Jenkins County High School gymnasium to find notes and cookies from children. (contributed)

Volunteers set up cots for Alabama crews in the Jenkins County High School gymnasium. (contributed)

Alabama crews would return to the Jenkins County High School gymnasium to find notes and cookies from children. (contributed)

Volunteers set up cots for Alabama crews in the Jenkins County High School gymnasium. (contributed)

Alabama crews would return to the Jenkins County High School gymnasium to find notes and cookies from children. (contributed)

Volunteers set up cots for Alabama crews in the Jenkins County High School gymnasium. (contributed)

Alabama crews would return to the Jenkins County High School gymnasium to find notes and cookies from children. (contributed)

Volunteers set up cots for Alabama crews in the Jenkins County High School gymnasium. (contributed)

Adam Carr, manager of Grid Investment for Alabama Power, said crews would arrive at the gym after a hard day of work to find notes and cookies from local children. The local residents served them pizza and other refreshments.

“I don’t think they wanted to leave when it came time for them to go work in another part of the state,” Carr said. “They truly bonded with the community in Millen.”

Such bonds were not uncommon.

Irwinton Baptist and Ebenezer Baptist churches in and around Macon put together care packages for Alabama Power crews. Children from the churches assembled the care packages, which were distributed to crews during the morning safety briefing.

Irwington Baptist and Ebenezer Baptist churches in and around Macon put together care packages for Alabama Power crews that were distributed during the morning safety briefing. (contributed)

Sometimes, it was Alabama Power delivering care packages.

In Tifton, Alabama Power and Georgia Power workers learned of a need in the small town of Broxton, Georgia, and decided to load up spare food from their staging site and deliver it to the local police department to get out to residents in need.

Mike Bell with Georgia Power and Terrence Bullock with Alabama Power were scouting communities where crews would travel next after restoring larger cities. That led them to the devastation in Broxton.

“We found significant devastation there,” Bullock said. “We reached out to local law enforcement to see what we could do to help.”

Bell and Bullock went to a nearby staging site, gathered up any extra food and delivered it to law enforcement to deliver to residents in need in Broxton. They did this three more times to aid people there.

Alabama Power and Georgia Power contributed food and supplies to those in need in Broxton, Georgia. (contributed)

“This is a community that didn’t have many resources before the hurricane,” Bell said.

Alabama Power and other crews from Alabama traveled to Georgia with the aim of giving assistance. What they received was just as precious.

“The people of Georgia really let us know how they felt,” Carr said. “Our crews give a lot, but they get a lot back.”

“It was humbling and rewarding for us,” Bullock said.

Alabama Power is preparing to send replacement crews to Georgia to assist with the remaining outages from Hurricane Helene. Alabama Power is also sending a transmission crew to assist Duke Energy in Florida following Hurricane Milton, which makes landfall late tonight.

There were multiple signs of appreciation for linemen in Georgia during Hurricane Helene restoration. (contributed)

Alabama Power workers made connections with the people and communities they served in restoring power in Georgia following Hurricane Helene. (contributed)

There were multiple signs of appreciation for linemen in Georgia during Hurricane Helene restoration. (contributed)

Alabama Power workers made connections with the people and communities they served in restoring power in Georgia following Hurricane Helene. (contributed)

There were multiple signs of appreciation for linemen in Georgia during Hurricane Helene restoration. (contributed)

Alabama Power workers made connections with the people and communities they served in restoring power in Georgia following Hurricane Helene. (contributed)

There were multiple signs of appreciation for linemen in Georgia during Hurricane Helene restoration. (contributed)

Alabama Power workers made connections with the people and communities they served in restoring power in Georgia following Hurricane Helene. (contributed)