MEMA is monitoring the situation and plans to send assets to aid impacted area when those states’ requests are submitted.
With an estimated half a million people without power in two states, Mississippi-based power companies have sent crews to help with the restoration efforts, and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is prepared to provide aid as well.
Roughly 200 line crew from Mississippi Power Company and 25 Coast Electric employees are headed to or stationed near the areas in Florida and Georgia affected by Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall Wednesday.
April Lollar, Director of Communications for Coast Electric, said the more than two dozen employees include service crews, engineers and personnel trained in vehicle maintenance. All of those Coast Electric employees are headed to assist other personnel with Tri-County Electric restore power to the estimated 20,000 members of that cooperative’s customer base.
Mississippi Power sent about 200 personnel to assist Georgia Power earlier this week in preparation for the anticipated power outages.
“We are fortunate that our customers will not experience any impacts from Idalia, and we’re ready to assist our neighbors,” said Mississippi Power Company Distribution General Manager and Storm Director Melvin Roland in a release.
“As we enter peak hurricane season of 2023, we’re reminded of what our customers have endured in the past, including Hurricane Katrina 18 years ago,” said Mississippi Power Company spokeswoman Kaila Moran Griffith said in the release.
Governor Tate Reeves issued a statement via social media that Mississippi “stands ready to help our friends in Florida as needed due to Hurricane Idalia.” As such, MEMA is planning to send aid to the state of Florida.
MEMA Chief Communications Officer Malary White said the agency is currently monitoring the situation in Florida, while also working on situations within Mississippi and assisting Louisiana. She said that when Florida issues a request for aid, MEMA will send assets.
Jeremy Pittari
