In late September 2024, winds in excess of 65 mph ripped through Appalachia as Hurricane Helene made landfall across much of the southeastern part of the United States. Heavy rains caused flash flooding, washing out roads and toppling trees, causing severe damage and leaving millions without power.
The impact was significant in our region as more than 282,000 customers lost power due to the storm. Children were unable to complete their homework, families couldn't prepare dinner and hospitals were unable to deliver essential care.
Restoring power quickly and safely was critical.
Thousands of workers traveled from across the United States to answer APCo's call for mutual assistance. In just 10 days, crews restored electricity to all 282,000 customers.
In the face of widespread outages caused by Helene, our crews demonstrated exceptional collaboration and commitment to our communities. We quickly mobilized and deployed resources when it was safe to do so. We prioritized areas most affected, working around the clock to repair damaged infrastructure.
The damage we saw was truly heartbreaking, but throughout it all, our crews felt a strong sense of community as they worked to restore electric service.
“The support we received from our community was amazing,” said David Robinson, APCo’s Incident Commander during major storm events. “Customers donated food to crews, offered to do our laundry and even left appreciation notes on our trucks. We’re always ready to help, but these little acts of kindness gave us an extra boost as we set out to complete an incredibly challenging task.”
In just over a week, crews fixed what had taken decades to build, putting in one million hours of work in the process. The storm damaged over 3,000 unique locations, many of which were inaccessible by truck. Helicopters and other special equipment were used for hard-to-access areas. In some places, our crews essentially rebuilt the energy grid. In total, crews installed nearly 1,500 new poles, more than 200 miles of wire and more than 470 transformers. This immense effort earned our company an Emergency Response Award from the Edison Electric Institute, an association that represents the country’s investor-owned electric companies. These awards recognize extraordinary efforts made by electric companies after extreme weather and other natural disaster events.
“We will never forget the destruction Hurricane Helene caused across Appalachia,” said Aaron Walker, APCo president and chief operating officer. “The task of restoring power to so many people was daunting. We were immensely proud of our crews, who worked quickly across treacherous terrain and hazardous conditions, all while doing this work safely. The impacts from Hurricane Helene and other storm events further strengthen our commitment to making investments in our infrastructure and working to reduce extended outages for customers.”