Gulf Coast hurricane recovery continues; 95% of Alabama Power customers in service today
Linemen Ben Hulsey, Tim Nix and Jerome Lopez work to restore power after Hurricane Sally in Theodore. Alabama Power expects to have power restored to 95% of customers by Saturday evening. (Dan Anderson/Alabama NewsCenter)
Recovery in Gulf Coast communities continues following Category 2 Hurricane Sally, which pummeled the state mid-week, leaving a wake of destruction. High winds knocked down poles and powerlines and severe flooding affected communities in southern and central Alabama before the slow-moving storm exited the state Thursday.
Alabama Power crews are working quickly to restore service for affected customers. By Friday, outages in central and southeast Alabama had been resolved and all efforts were focused on the Mobile area, which took the brunt of the storm.
More than 4,000 lineworkers and support personnel from 14 states joined forces working to get the lights back on along the coast. Crews worked through rainy conditions Saturday as Tropical Storm Beta looms offshore. As of 3 p.m., about 14,000 Mobile-area customers are without service.
Alabama Power expects to have 95% of customers who are able to receive service restored Saturday evening. Restoration efforts in the hardest-hit areas including downtown Mobile, Dauphin Island and Bayou La Batre may extend into early next week.
