Hurricane Laura made landfall as a category 4 hurricane near Cameron, Louisiana, on Wednesday night, becoming the southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas region’s strongest storm in more than a century.
Ahead of the storm reaching land, Alabama Power Company crews on Wednesday afternoon began packing in preparation to head west and assist utilities in affected areas.
A release from the company said that they were prepared to send 350 employees to Louisiana and Texas, including lineworkers and support personnel. Additionally, Alabama Power is allowing additional contract crews to travel to the two states.
“We are fortunate to be able to provide resources to help others, considering the potential impact this very dangerous storm could have on a very large area,” Kristie Barton, a general manager in the company’s Power Delivery organization, stated on Wednesday.
This comes after Alabama Power crews recently assisted communities in New Jersey following Tropical Storm Isaias and areas in Illinois affected by a deadly derecho.
Governor Kay Ivey has approved the Alabama National Guard to send four Black Hawk helicopters to Louisiana on Thursday to assist with hurricane response efforts.
UPDATE 4:30 p.m.
The Alabama Power crews on Thursday morning departed the Yellowhammer State Thursday morning to travel to Louisiana and Texas.
Crew foreman Jason Wood said in a statement, “These guys come and help us when something happens. We’re returning the favor to go help them in their time of need.”
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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