STATEMENT BY: Amy Zubaly, FMEA Exec. Director, Regarding Mutual Aid for Hurricane Francine Update

“The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) has assembled public power crews from across the state to aid with power restoration efforts following impacts from Hurricane Francine, which is anticipated to make landfall later today.

Nearly 80 public power personnel from seven Florida public power utilities have deployed to Louisiana to restore power to impacted communities. Crews from the City of Tallahassee Electric Utility and Gainesville Regional Utilities are supporting Lafayette Utilities System (LUS) in their restoration efforts. Beaches Energy Services, Ocala Electric Utility, and Orlando Utilities Commission crews are heading to provide mutual aid assistance to the City of Houma, Louisiana, while Fort Pierce Utilities Authority and New Smyrna Beach Utilities are en route to the City of Morgan City, Louisiana.

Additional personnel from Florida public power utilities are standing by to assist wherever there is a need. Mutual aid agreements enable electric utilities to call on each other for skilled emergency workers and supplies. Mutual aid can extend beyond fellow public power utilities to both rural electric cooperatives and investor-owned utilities.

As communities across Louisiana and the Gulf coast brace for the impacts of Hurricane Francine, FMEA and Florida’s public power utilities are keeping everyone in the affected area in our thoughts. Please stay safe throughout the storm.”