Lubbock Power & Light announced on Tuesday afternoon that it would send 15 vehicles and 18 crew members to Lakeland, Florida to assist with Hurricane Ian recovery efforts.
The effort comes as a result of a mutual service agreement that LP&L signed, committing to assist in disaster recovery events, according to a news release from the municipal utility.
“LP&L is proud to represent our community in lending assistance to Floridians in the aftermath of what could be a potentially damaging event,” said Joel Ivy, Director of Electric Utilities. “A cornerstone principle of our industry is helping our neighbors in need, because there will come a time when Lubbock faces a daunting storm recovery, and their helping hand will turn the tide.”
Slated to leave Wednesday morning, LP&L crew members will wait in Montgomery, Alabama until the storm passes to ensure they can reach Lakeland as safely and quickly as possible.
The 18 crew members departing for Lakeland include two construction crews, three service crews, and one mechanic, according to the LP&L statement.
Given the federal disaster declaration already issued, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse all expenses related to LP&L’s efforts in restoring power for Hurricane Ian victims.
Hurricane Ian — which the National Hurricane Center expects to reach Category 4 prior to making landfall — has maintained an unpredictable pathway since it emerged late last week.
While meteorologists originally believed the hurricane would hit the Sarasota area, when it was still a tropical storm, it has shifted its pathway several times, and Ian can still head any direction within the forecast cone that stretches more than 120 miles from Sarasota County to Citrus County.
Hurricane Ian comes just days after Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Eastern Canada, killing at least 27 individuals in its path and leaving more than 1 million individuals without power in Puerto Rico and Canada.
