Progress Energy!!! MANY THANKS!!!

[Rainband]

I am so grateful to those who risked their lives to restore power to me today. The wind was gusting at 40 mph and they were still here. God Bless to those guys!!!! They need to get the credit they derserve!!!!!

[wx247]

You are right... the fact that you guys already have power speaks volumes about their determination.

[Sean in New Orleans]

As I posted Saturday, there are several hundred from New Orleans' based Entergy that are there with our trucks and equipment that are working around the clock, as well, to restore energy as quickly as possible for those in Florida affected by Frances. http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=41843

[vbhoutex]

Reliant Energy out of Houston sent out 160 linemen yesterday so they should be helping soon also. MUCH CREDIT NEEEDS TO GO TO THESE BRAVE PEOPLE WHO INDEED DO RISK THEIR LIVES DOING THIS WORK!!!

[clearwater]

Big thanks to Progress Energy from Clearwater, also -- we got our power back sometime between 3 and 4 a.m. (lost it around noon).

I've got a wretched case of bronchitis and the lack of air circulation was absolutely miserable -- it was such a huge (and unexpected) blessing to get electric back in the wee morning hours.

[Sean in New Orleans]

Copied from a local television station website:
Glad to see all of these energy workers from the region restoring power to you guys in Florida so quickly. One of the worst parts of the storm is being in the dark, IMO!

Louisiana utility companies send workers to hurricane-battered Florida

11:02 PM CDT on Sunday, September 5, 2004


Associated Press



Hundreds of utility workers from Louisiana are heading to Florida to help restore power to the state's hurricane-battered residents and businesses.

Entergy Corp. and Cleco Corp. are among the companies sending linemen and support workers to Florida.

The companies are sending workers as part of a mutual assistance agreement to help other utility companies in crises.

"It's a good agreement, it helps get the lights on faster," said Chanel Lagarde, spokesman for Entergy.

Under the arrangement, the workers are paid by the utility company getting the help, Lagarde said.

Hurricane Frances hit Florida on Sunday and weakened to a tropical storm as it crossed the peninsula. It dumped over 13 inches of rain on the central east coast and more than 5 million people lost power.

About 175 Entergy workers were scheduled to ship out Monday for Florida and they were expected to start repairing the storm's damage on Wednesday, Lagarde said. Entergy workers in Arkansas and Mississippi also were being sent.

Cleco planned to send 40 workers and Lafayette Utilities System had about 25 linemen and eight contract workers ready to go if necessary.

[mkapw]

Oh yeah ... doing the happy Dance ... Progress Engery is some of our guys I bet. Or at least it's where my money goes every month!
You GO BOYS !!!!!

[Pasco]

rainband, ditto that. our power was out for 24 hours and i was expecting 36-48 hours. at the time my power was restored the weather was actually worse than when it was knocked out. The Progress Energy folks really came through. the funny thing is listening to the radio it was one caller after the next complaining about progress energy and coming up with all kinds of wild conspiracy theories on why their power was out while others still had power.

[Rainband]

rainband, ditto that. our power was out for 24 hours and i was expecting 36-48 hours. at the time my power was restored the weather was actually worse than when it was knocked out. The Progress Energy folks really came through. the funny thing is listening to the radio it was one caller after the next complaining about progress energy and coming up with all kinds of wild conspiracy theories on why their power was out while others still had power.

Those people piss me off. I am very grateful I didn't lose my home and they should be too instead of seeing the glass have empty Like I said Progress Energy responded very quickly and while they were still in danger and I will remember those guys in my prayers

[seaswing]

I am able to post because I charged my laptop just in case. I am glad I did! Here in N Central Fl. still without power but I have seen crews from Progress 'Energy around town. We are still having 40-50 mi gusts and have quite a bit of debris on the ground, no power for 24 hrs. intermittent phones...but I have been able to look at NWS and also come here to see whats up with the storm. Frankly, I do not even want to read anything about Ivan just yet...too much for the brain! Hopefully power will be restored soon...but I continue to hear transformers pop, or lines popping, I am not sure which. Thanks to all who are coming to Fla to help!!!! this morning Progress did manage to get a partial grid up in my town so that at least a jiffy store could open up and sell coffee! a long line at the coffee pots! we just helped th staff out by making pots of coffee for them while they ran the cash registers. Also Winn Dixie opened up long enough to seel all the ice, batteries and cigarettes they had and then they shut their doors again. So I say to all who have helped, even just a little, I send a big Thank you because those little things mean so much when you have nothing!!!!!

[Lindaloo]

I just returned home from Mobile, AL. What I saw gave me great pride. Hundreds of electric company trucks lined up for about 5 miles on the side of Interstate 10 and we passed more on the way to join them. We started honking the horn which made others start honking. They started waving and doing the "heck yeah" sign! I saw some MS Power, Entergy, Singing River and Alabama Power trucks all lined up to head east.

[Janie34]

I remember power companies from all across the South helping us when we needed it after a hurricane. I was always very happy to see them. I'm happy some of our crews are in Florida helping with the recovery effort. Many kudos to those folks, they do a tremendous job.