Linemen are crucial employees of electric co-ops and these crews are often the first people on the ground following a storm or natural disaster. Last week, Hurricane Helene, which The Washington Post called “one of the deadliest hurricanes of the modern era,” tore through the southeastern United States. Line crews from all over the country volunteered to travel to Georgia and North Carolina to chase the storm and hit the ground running as soon as they could to help restore power for communities. These crews are facing immeasurable destruction, downed trees, washed-out roads, and obstacles like snakes, gators and live lines to bring communities back on line.
Here are some of the scenes from where crews are working tirelessly to restore power:
Storm chasing line crew ready to head out into the field.
A transformer lies on the ground following Hurricane Helene. Linemen receive extensive training to be able to manage downed lines.
One lineman works to restore power and the other is keeping them safe by standing watch for alligators and water snakes.
Crews lined up to fix a downed line in Georgia following Hurricane Helene.
Linemen bunk in temporary housing, often far from their families, as they help restore power throughout Georgia following Hurricane Helene.
