Clark Public Utilities foreman Jesse McClellan said traveling across the country to restore power after a disaster is just part of the job.
But for McClellan and his crew, their recent trip to Florida in response to back-to-back hurricanes has marked the longest journey.
The call to assist Duke Energy with post-disaster repairs after hurricanes Helene and Milton came quickly, McClellan said. On 11 a.m. Oct. 8 — the day before Hurricane Milton made landfall — he and his team were notified they’d be heading to Florida to help restore power to beleaguered residents. By that afternoon, McClellan and seven other crew members set out with six utility trucks to help restore power.
The two crews, each led by a foreman and consisting of two linemen and a heavy equipment operator, arrived in Davenport, Florida, on Oct. 12, after four days on the road. They joined thousands of utility workers from across the country dispatched to repair hurricane damage in the Orlando area.
Corey Larkin, foreman of the second crew, said, while the work was familiar, the crew was not used to working in some of the conditions, specifically their environment.
“...There was a lot of swampy areas where water had risen,” Larkin said. “... At the jungle areas that we were in, there was a lot of high water there [and] a lot of debris, especially through the neighborhoods.”
In three 16- to 18-hour days, the crews replaced two broken utility poles, strung new power lines and installed transformers in several areas.
Clark Public Utilities Public Information Officer Dameon Pesanti explained that the company has a rotation for mutual aid crews, and this time it was McClellan and Larkin’s crews on the list.
“It’s a pretty normal thing for us to help neighboring utilities, especially during storm season, but for utilities in Florida to call us from this far away shows you how much damage they were expecting,” Pesanti said.
Despite Florida’s reputation for fearsome wildlife, McClellan noted that the only dangerous creatures they encountered were fire ants.
“You know, we were hoping to see an alligator, but we never did,” McClellan said. “The worst thing was the fire ants. They were everywhere. When we go through the brush or dig in for a new [utility] pole, those fire ants were the worst … I would rather run into an alligator than fire ants. Those things are horrible.”
The crews also had to adapt to Florida’s different utility practices, particularly the amount of tree branches and vegetation allowed to grow around power lines. McClellan emphasized that tree branches and leaves positioned too closely to the cables can damage them or pose a fire risk.
“I think we got one of the best tree-trimming programs [here], but there, some of those wires are going right through the trees, through the brush, and so they just put in a bigger wire … We’ll keep a pretty good gap for any trees or tree branches. I suppose the humidity is that much greater down there, but they’re not as concerned about the fire danger or just not concerned about keeping it trimmed,” McClellan said.
McClellan said that the crews had to take extra precautions due to the prevalence of customer-owned generators in Florida. If a generator is improperly hooked up, it could backfeed electricity into the power line, posing a fatal risk to the linemen if the necessary precautions aren’t taken, McClellan explained. To ensure the safety of the linemen, they used grounding equipment to connect the power lines to the ground.
Despite these challenges, the crews found the experience rewarding. McClellan remarked that Florida drivers left much to be desired but the residents were welcoming and appreciative.
“Everyone we ran into as far as customers were pretty nice people and real thankful to see us from that far away,” McClellan said.
Larkin echoed the satisfaction he felt working with his team.
“Most people don’t want to be out in it, and we’re going out there to get the power back to these people to make it safe. So I think for any of us, it’s very rewarding to be able to do that. That’s our trade. That’s what we’re here to do.”
