When the call came for help, 115 SWEPCO employees and contractors from Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas answered.
Since last Friday, lineworkers, troublemen, supervisors and support personnel from across SWEPCO's three-state service territory have been helping Florida Power & Light's restore power to communities impacted by Hurricane Isaias.
Today, those crews are working in two Florida Panhandle communities, helping to assess damage, replace poles and wire, and restore service to families and businesses. Line crews from Natchitoches and Shreveport, Louisiana and Longview, Texas, are working in Pace. Crews from the Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Texarkana, Arkansas and Texas, areas are supporting restoration efforts in Milton. While the work is taking place hundreds of miles from home, the mission is familiar: helping people when they need it most.
"Every storm is different," said Chris Andreolli, Manager Distribution Services for SWEPCO's Fayetteville operating area and leader of SWEPCO's mission in Florida. "The conditions, the terrain and the damage can all vary. But what doesn't change is our crews' commitment to the communities we're serving. The team is in good spirits, working safely and focused on helping people get back to normal."
For Kevin Greene, a SWEPCO troubleman from the Longview area, storm response has become a way of life. Greene joined SWEPCO in 1999 as a fleet mechanic before transitioning to the transmission line crew in 2006 and later becoming a distribution lineman, following in his father's footsteps. He estimates that he’s responded to nearly 30 storms across the United States with nearly 10 trips over the years helping with storm response specifically in Florida.
"You feel for the customers," Greene said. "You're working to get the lights back on as fast as you can and as safely as you can."
The damage has been extensive.
"We're seeing wires down, poles down, trees down," Greene said. "The first step is assessing everything so crews know where to begin. It's a lot of damage."
Customers have shared stories of powerful winds and widespread destruction.
"They've told us it's almost like mini tornadoes," Greene said. "One neighborhood may be heavily damaged while another nearby looks okay. The storm tore up a lot of neighborhoods."
The scale of the response effort has also left an impression. The SWEPO team is being staged in Pensacola alongside crews from across the country.
"FPL has a base camp where we're living, and it's impressive," Greene said. "There are thousands of utility workers here all working toward the same goal. Everybody is focused on restoring service."
A veteran of numerous storm restorations, Greene is also helping mentor newer lineworkers on the assignment.
"It's a good group of guys," he said. "They're learning and working hard. I just take them under my wing like they're my kids and try to look out for them."
What has stayed with Greene most, however, has been the appreciation from customers.
"They've been telling us they're blown away by how hard everybody from SWEPCO is working," he said. "We're grateful for the kind words, but our focus is helping get their lights back on."
Back home in Hallsville, Texas, Greene's wife, adult daughters and three young grandchildren are waiting for him. They understand storm duty is part of the job.
"It's what I do," Greene said.
While veterans like Greene have responded to dozens of storms, others are experiencing different milestones at home.
Nashville, Arkansas, lineworker Colton Bishop became a father and graduated as a lineman apprentice earlier this year. Before leaving for Florida, he recorded a message for his wife and infant daughter, promising to work safely and return home when the job is done.
For now, crews remain focused on the work ahead, replacing poles, rebuilding power lines and restoring service neighborhood by neighborhood.
"We're just down here doing what we do every day," Greene said. "Working safely and getting the lights back on."
For the customers waiting on restoration, that's what matters most.