Kentucky organizations preparing to aid southeastern US in Debby recovery

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Some Kentuckians are preparing to send crews to Georgia and Florida to assist with relief efforts in the wake of tropical storm Debby.

“Our crews will be on standby for those who are going down to help with mutual aid. And then after that water subsides, and you see all the damage left behind, they will begin rebuilding the electric system that was wiped out by that big storm surge,” said Joe Arnold, Vice President of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives.

Kentucky Electric Cooperatives is just one of the organizations from Kentucky on standby to head to the Southeast.

The American Red Cross Bluegrass Chapter and Lexington-based company Emergency Disaster Services are also ready to step in.

Kentucky Utilities is sending 50 of their people down to help.

With some forecasts projecting upwards of 20 inches of rain in part of the south, electrical grids will take a huge hit.

“You do not rebuild an electrical system in water. The same way as the winds will come in with a hurricane and take trees down and power polls down or power lines down, water can have that same effect. So after that storm surge subsides, that’s when our crews can go in and rebuild the system,” said Arnold.

When Hurricane Idalia hit in 2023 with a track similar to Debby’s, Kentucky Electric Cooperatives sent crews to South Carolina and Georgia and crews say they’re ready to do it again.

“It looks like Georgia is going to be our best match in terms of where our equipment can be the most effective and the conditions we are expecting them to hit,” said Arnold.

“These line-workers are heroes. They are people who are leaving their families and the safety of the job behind to go into areas that are in terrible shape,” Arnold said.

As of now, Kentucky electric cooperatives have around 8-10 co-ops who are able to spare crews to Georgia to help with relief

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