An eight-member team and a convoy of vehicles from Leesburg’s Electric Department arrived in North Carolina this past Thursday to help with extensive recovery efforts following Hurricane Florence.
The crews left Leesburg on Wednesday, driving north with four bucket trucks, two line trucks and two pickup trucks with pole trailers. After initially deploying and doing repairs in Greenville, the line workers were relocated to Red Springs.
Leesburg crews are working alongside teams from Bushnell and Mount Dora electric departments. They are expected to remain in the Carolinas as long as they are needed.
Flooding from Florence is extensive and hampering the workers’ efforts to begin power restoration.
“Although the effects of natural disasters are devastating, at times like these public power is at its best because our mutual aid agreements assist other communities to restore energy quickly and safely,” Leesburg City Manager Al Minner said.
In past years, similar teams from the Leesburg Electric Department have worked with recovery efforts throughout the state and around the country to provide mutual aid after numerous natural disasters, including hurricanes Andrew, Katrina, Irene, Sandy, Hermine and Matthew.
