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FPUA Receives National Commendation for Tallahassee Restoration Efforts
FPUA lineworkers provided mutual aid to restore power after tornadoes knocked out grid
Fort Pierce Utilities Authority has received a national commendation from the American Public Power Association for its support in electric power restoration efforts in Tallahassee last month, following three tornadoes that swept through the city over Mother’s Day weekend.
On May 10, FPUA sent six lineworkers to assist Tallahassee after the city lost power following the tornadoes, which did more physical damage to Tallahassee’s electric grid than the last three hurricanes combined. The FPUA crews worked in Tallahassee’s Greater Bond neighborhood clearing trees, replacing poles and restoring power lines. The following week, FPUA also provided a truckload of 40 cross arms that are needed to hold power lines on the pole. FPUA crews spent nine days, including Mother’s Day, helping restore the Tallahassee power grid.
“Helping Florida’s public power utilities restore electric service in the aftermath of storms is a long-standing tradition among municipal utilities and we are grateful and honored to be part of that tradition serving local communities,” said Javier Cisneros, FPUA’s Director of Utilities. FPUA joined 26 other mutual aid utilities from across Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia and South Carolina that helped the City of Tallahassee in their recovery from the tornadoes that struck the area on May 10th.
According to the National Weather Service, two of the three tornados were rated as EF-2 Tornados with estimated sustained winds of 115 mph. The third tornado was rated as an EF-1. The tornados combined to cause significant damage across the city. The City of Tallahassee reported nearly 400 utility poles were damaged. This exceeded the combined damage to the electric poles caused by Hurricanes Hermine, Irma and Michael.
FPUA participates in the APPA Mutual Aid Network, which coordinates with utilities and authorities during widespread power outages. For more information on Fort Pierce Utilities Authority and our commitment to mutual aid, visit www.FPUA.com or www.publicpower.org/MutualAid.