Evergy has sent a team of line workers and support staff to help restore electric power in the areas of the southeastern United States affected by Hurricane Helene.
Around 120 Evergy workers left early Saturday from Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita, Emporia and other communities to make the 700-mile drive to Ashland, Ky., a mountainous area where the storm brought high winds and heavy rains, damaging trees, and electrical equipment. Evergy crews will spend up to two weeks assisting AEP Kentucky to rebuild the power grid and restore power, while 200 contractors who frequently support Evergy head to Indiana to support Duke Energy.
Evergy’s vice president of distribution, Ryan Mulvany, said in a press release that the company is supporting the second wave of the storm. He said, “The first wave hit Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. There was a lot of staging in that part of the country. As the storm moved north, we’re now backfilling resources that had already gone down to support the southeast.”
Evergy is a member of the Midwest Mutual Assistance Group, which enables the company to call upon neighboring utilities and their contractors to help restore service after a significant event such as a severe storm. During the summer, AEP crews provided assistance as Evergy experienced severe weather in Kansas. Mulvany said this is Evergy’s opportunity to return the favor.
