Rural Missouri - December 2024 - 16

United Electric Cooperative lineworker Derek Hailey assesses the damage while restoring power at Excelsior EMC in southeast Georgia.
Missouri's crews are usually staged at the same cooperative
during storm response, but that wasn't the case for
Helene. It caused so much damage that the first wave of
200 lineworkers was the most ever sent by Missouri, and
they were followed by 150 more a few weeks later.
Half of the initial wave was sent to far southeast Georgia
to assist Okefenoke REMC where nearly 80% of the cooperatives'
43,000 members were without power. Right after
the storm, the co-op struggled to assess the damage due to
a loss of cell service and radio transmission.
David Smith, manager of safety training, loss control
and human resources, says his lineworkers battled the
outages on their own for about the first 36 hours. " Those
Missouri trucks started rolling in and once we got them
situated and paired up with our guys, their trucks rolled
out and boy were our lineworkers and members happy to
see them. It's a big morale boost to see help come in. "
A similar situation played out 100 miles north at Excelsior
EMC in Metter, Georgia, where not a single one of
the 25,000 meters on their system was turning. Missouri
cooperative lineworkers would spend two weeks at Excelsior
rebuilding the entire distribution system.
In total, Missouri had boots on the ground for more
than three weeks. Whether it was a honk of the horn, a
homemade thank you card or a drink, they were met with
unwavering hospitality from locals thankful for their work.
Crews from Licking-based Intercounty Electric Cooperative
may have been the biggest benefactors of that hospital16
RURAL MISSOURI | DECEMBER 2024
ity while assisting Little Ocmulgee EMC. There were seven
tent cities - simple cots lined up under tents - located
throughout the state. The Intercounty lineworkers were
housed at a consolidated tent city in Vidalia, Georgia, which
served three cooperatives. Little Ocmulgee was the westernmost
co-op at that tent city and Intercounty's 10 lineworkers
were working on the far western part of the co-op,
leaving them an hour's drive to start and finish their day.
When parishioners at nearby Pleasant Hill Church
heard about the Intercounty crews, they stepped up and
gave them a close spot to stay. " They put us up in their
community room with sleeping bags, showers, snacks,
meals in the fridge and they would do our laundry while
we were working, " says Intercounty's Aaron Scantlin. " We
were able to get to work right away each day and I think it
sped up the restoration process. "
Aaron says he and the other lineworkers were sure to
leave a donation for the church before heading home.
The most important goal for Missouri's electric cooperatives
is ensuring each employee returns home to their
families safely. The last of Missouri's 353 lineworkers were
back in the Show-Me State 24 days after Helene hit. Their
hard work and desire to turn lights back on left an indelible
impact on those they helped.
" I don't think I've ever heard people brag about crews
during a storm any more than what I heard about the
Missouri crews, " says Harry. " We hope we never need you
again; but if we do, y'all are on our speed dial. "

Rural Missouri - December 2024

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