Unitil Crews Heading To Georgia To Aid In Hurricane Helene Aftermath

CONCORD, NH — Line crews for Unitil left for Georgia on Monday to assist a power company in that state with restoration efforts after Hurricane Helene caused millions to lose power in the southeastern part of the United States.

A dozen New Hampshire and Massachusetts line workers will be in Saco, Georgia, assisting Georgia Power in restoring electricity. As of Monday afternoon, the company reported about 800,000 people were without power. The company also reported extensive tree damage, flooding, and road closures after the storm struck.

“Helene has been the most destructive hurricane in Georgia Power history, damaging infrastructure across the state,” the company stated online.

Alec O’Meara, the external affairs director from Unitil, said the company had sent workers to other locations damaged by storms in the past.

“Helene proved to be a very deadly and destructive hurricane that affected millions of people over a wide area,” he said. “A natural disaster of this magnitude requires a multifaceted response, which is why our line workers are joining crews from dozens of other utility companies that have responded to the region. Safety is always the No. 1 priority, and it will be especially critical as our crews navigate the area and work to restore power in the coming days.”

When they arrive in Georgia, the workers will likely work long, difficult days, he said. But they also were eager to assist.

“We’ll be going into areas we don’t know, but at the end of the day, the guys just want to go down there to restore power and be safe. Safety is the biggest thing,” Line Supervisor Shawnn Vaillant, who will oversee the crews while they’re deployed, said.

Gregg Plummer, a lead line worker who had been with the company for 24 years and assisted in other locations, will be going to the southeastern part of the country for the first time.

“The way I look at it, more hands make less work,” he said. “When people are out of power, it’s just like us, we need help because everybody wants to get their power on and if we don’t get help it takes us twice as long … from my experience, people have always been appreciative. They appreciate you coming to help.”

A Concord firefighter is also helping out in North Carolina.

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