More than 185 Tennessee lineworkers answer the call for assistance following Hurricane Helene

NASHVILLE – Power restoration efforts are still underway today as communities across East Tennessee work to recover from the impact of Hurricane Helene. Heavy rain and strong winds left nearly 100,000 electric co-op consumers without power on Friday morning. Crews worked through the weekend to restore power to many of those impacted, but some 900 electric co-op members across eastern Tennessee remain without power today.  

“At TECA we are always ready to answer the call for mutual aid,” said Todd Blocker, vice president of member services for the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association and coordinator of electric co-op mutual aid efforts in the state. “18 of Tennessee’s electric cooperatives have answered the call for mutual aid assistance. Two of the seven cooperative principles that are the cornerstones of electric cooperatives throughout the country are ‘concern for community’ and ‘cooperation among cooperatives.’ Our members take pride in helping other communities in getting the power back on as safely and quickly as possible.” 

The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association has continued to coordinate assistance from Tennessee cooperatives. 

Assisting cooperatives in Tennessee are: 

• Eight lineworkers from Fayetteville Public Utilities and eight lineworkers from Tennessee Valley Electric Cooperative are assisting Mountain Electric Cooperative in Mountain City 
• 20 lineworkers from Middle Tennessee Electric are assisting Appalachian Electric Cooperative in New Market 
• 18 lineworkers from Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation, 10 from Duck River Electric Membership Corporation, 4 from Forked Deer Electric Cooperative, 10 from Pickwick Electric Cooperative, six from Plateau Electric Cooperative, 10 from Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation and 16 from Volunteer Energy Cooperative are assisting Holston Electric Cooperative in Rogersville 
• 50 contractors from Volunteer Energy Cooperative are assisting Powell Valley Electric Cooperative in New Tazwell 

Assisting cooperatives in other states are: 

• 15 lineworkers from Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation are assisting Rutherford Electric Membership Corporation in Morgantown, North Carolina
• Five lineworkers from Tri-County Electric Membership Corporation are assisting Blue Ridge Energy in Lenoir, North Carolina
• Six lineworkers from Chickasaw Electric Cooperative, five from Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative and 15 from Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative are assisting Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation in Pickens, South Carolina  
• 10 lineworkers from Caney Fork Electric Cooperative, five from Fort Loudoun Electric Cooperative and eight from Gibson Electric Membership Corporation are assisting Excelsior Electric Membership Corporation in Metter, Georgia
• Eight lineworkers from Gibson Electric Membership Corporation are assisting Planters Electric Membership Corporation in Millen, Georgia