SYLVESTER, Ga. (LEX 18)– Utility crews from all across the nation have been called up to help restore power to more than a million people who were hit by Hurricane Michael.
A crew from Franklin County spoke with LEX 18 Friday. They are in Georgia. The hurricane made landfall just east of Panama City, Florida, but it was so powerful that it continued to wreak havoc all along its path through the southeast.
Mike Aldridge and six other linemen from the Frankfort Plant Board volunteered to help in Sylvester, Georgia, nearly 200 miles north of the Gulf Coast.
The historic storm left the small town completely in the dark, every single customer is without power.
“I think they’ve got 40 or 50 plus poles down is what they’ve last calculated, and they’ve only got 2,300 customers so it’s pretty bad for that size of a town,” said Aldridge.
Aldridge and his crew joined about 20 other linemen from different places, working to bring electricity back to the town.
They said it could be days, maybe even weeks before the community has electricity again, but the crews are working as hard as they can and the residents have noticed.
“We have a lot of people driving by and coming out of the houses offering water and what not. It’s not cold water, but they’re offering us something to drink none the less, but very thankful, just super grateful people and they’re all happy to see us here,” said Aldridge.
