Business Express: CT Utilities Help Florida Recover from Irma's Devastation

After Hurricane Irma barreled into Florida, leaving more than 7.4 million people without power, local utilities companies like Eversource Energy and Norwich Public Utilities (NPU) stepped up to help get the lights backs on. They know the devastation and destruction superstorms leave behind, and put their skills to use to help communities in need. 
 
A loss of power in Florida can be life-threatening, especially during the summer when heat stroke can pose a serious threat to those without air conditioning. While hospitals and medical centers rely on generators to supply power, many assisted living facilities and senior centers go without. This leaves elderly residents, already more vulnerable to risks of the extreme Florida heat, in even greater danger.
 
Knowing what was at stake, Connecticut crews responded swiftly to help the hardest-hit communities.
 
In just a few days, Eversource crews restored power to more than 8,000 homes and businesses.
 
“Our team is working through extreme heat and high humidity, but we’re thinking of the people of Florida who have had no air conditioning all week,” said Eversource Incident Commander Marc Geaumont in a statement. “We have developed a good system of communication working with FPL and we’re excited to be able to assist with bringing the lights back on for customers affected by Irma.”
 
Eversource deployed 70 vehicles, including its Mobile Response Center, to assist in Florida’s recovery.
 
On Twitter, the company posted pictures of Florida residents embracing the crews who got their power restored.

Eversource wasn’t alone. NPU also sent a crew down to Florida as part of the American Public Power Association’s mutual aid program.
 
“NPU is proud to be a part of the American Public Power Association’s mutual aid program and immediately responded to the call for assistance from our friends and colleagues in Florida,” NPU General Manager John Bilda said in a statement. “The organizations that we will support in the days ahead could very well return the favor in Norwich some time down the road.”
 
The American Public Power Association is comprised of over 2,000 community-owned public utilities companies. When a disaster strikes, the call for aid goes out to utilities, state associations, and joint action agencies to mobilize and assist with the recovery.
 
“While in Florida, our crews report that most of the damage they've encountered was due to trees taking down poles and power lines, so they've been setting new poles,” the company posted on Facebook. “NPU is very proud of the efforts of John Benoit, Grahm Andruskiewicz, Jeff Burgess and Tony Rizzi working with the Orlando Utilities Commission following Hurricane Irma.”
 
NPU arrived at the command center of the Orlando Utility Commission on Tuesday, September 12 with no return date set – ready to stay as long as the work requires. The commission services Florida’s second largest municipality, providing electricity, water, chilled water and lighting services to 246,000 customers in Orlando, St. Cloud and part of Orange and Osceola counties.