After spending over a week in Texas restoring power to those impacted by Hurricane Beryl, hundreds of Alabama Power line workers and contractors have returned home. The efforts of these workers led to 99% of CenterPoint Energy customers regaining power and being able to turn their lights back on.
Two weeks ago, a category one hurricane tore through the Caribbean before hitting Texas, leaving over two million people without power and causing extensive flooding.
According to Anthony Cook from Alabama Power, the cleanup process after the storm included removing downed trees and limbs, as well as fixing broken power poles and wires before power could be restored. After 11 consecutive days of work, Alabama Power’s team of 350 personnel, including 300 contractors, were finally able to wrap up and go home on Friday.
According to Cook, during events like this, everyone is needed to lend a hand. Various utility companies from different parts of the country collaborate towards a shared objective, as part of a network of mutual aid.
Cook acknowledged the importance of assistance during times of crisis, citing the aid they received during Hurricane Idalia last year. “We had utilities come in and help us restore power,” he said. This time around, Cook explained that it was their turn to reciprocate the help and support their partner by going out and restoring power for customers in Texas.
As part of the restoration process, Alabama Power’s team successfully repaired and replaced a total of 113 poles, 962 spans of wire, 83 transformers, 809 services, and 96 switches.
