TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Electric (TECO) has sent about 150 people to Louisiana to restore power after Hurricane Ida.
Category 4 Hurricane Ida is expected to make landfall Sunday, bringing life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds.
Widespread power outages are expected from the powerful storm, TECO explains.
TECO says in a press release that around 50 Tampa Electric line workers and support personnel left early Sunday morning for a two-day drive to help Cleco Power in Slidell, Louisiana.
The team will be there to help restore any power lost as soon as it is safe to do so. Crews are ready to stay for two weeks.
An additional 100 contractors also left Sunday to help Cleco and Entergy Louisiana.
TECO says the crews will be following appropriate pandemic protocols, which include:
- One person in each truck
- Wearing masks
- Checking their temperatures
- Properly disinfecting tools, other surfaces
Meals will be boxed individually and the crew will be socially distanced.
TECO is a member of the Southeastern Electric Exchange (SEE), which is a network of utilities who come together to assist in case of a storm of other emergency.
The workers supporting the restoration efforts of other utilities are paid by the host utility.