Line workers to help Cleco Power restore electricity after Hurricane Ida
Tampa Electric has sent about 150 people to Louisiana to restore power after Hurricane Ida.
About 50 Tampa Electric line workers and support personnel left at dawn today for the two-day drive to Slidell, La., to help Cleco Power. They will help restore power as soon as it is safe to do so. Crews are prepared to stay for two weeks. Another 100 contractors also left today to help Cleco and Entergy Louisiana.
The crews will be using appropriate pandemic protocols, such as one person in each truck, wearing masks, checking their temperature and properly disinfecting tools and other surfaces. Meals will be individually boxed, and crews will practice social distancing.
Hurricane Ida is expected to make landfall Sunday night in Louisiana as a Category 4 storm, bringing high winds and flooding. Widespread power outages are expected from the powerful storm.
Tampa Electric is a member of the Southeastern Electric Exchange, or SEE, which is a network of utilities who pledge mutual assistance in case of a storm or other emergency. Crews supporting the restoration efforts of other utilities are paid by the host utility.
Tampa Electric, one of Florida’s largest investor-owned electric utilities, serves about 800,000 customers in West Central Florida. Tampa Electric is a subsidiary of Emera Inc., a geographically diverse energy and services company headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
