By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

Central Alabama Electric Cooperative and Alabama Power have both sent crews to areas hit by Hurricane Michael.

As the storm made its way through Alabama, many lost power. Crews from CAEC and Alabama Power will be working to repair downed lines and restore power to homes and businesses.

According to a CAEC press release, 16 journeyman linemen and two warehousemen along with needed equipment left on Oct. 11 for Hartford, Alabama.

This crew will be assisting Wiregrass Electric Cooperative.

“Alabama is part of a nationwide network of nearly 1,000 electric cooperatives that come together to assist each other in times of disaster,” the release stated.

“Nearly 1,100 Alabama Power and contractor teams are now deployed or arriving in the hardest-hit areas in Southeast and east Alabama and they are assisting local Alabama Power teams with restoration,” Michael Jordan of Alabama Power said.

He said more than 78,000 customers in the path of the hurricane were impacted by the storm.

“As of (Oct. 11) approximately 39,000 customers are still without electric service,” Michael said. “The vast majority of those are in the SE part of Alabama.”

Utilities are working together in the wake of the storm to restore power.

“Alabama Power is also communicating with its sister companies and other investor-owned utilities through its mutual assistance agreements,” Michael said.  “The agreements provide for utilities to move quickly to help each other, if needed, following a natural disaster or other significant disruption.”