Hurricane Idalia tore through Florida Wednesday morning, causing widespread damage and intense flooding, the continued on as a powerful storm with heavy rain and strong winds that affected parts of Georgia and South Carolina. First responders from agencies in Owensboro have sent crews to assist with restoring power and other aid efforts.
The hurricane had strengthened to a Category 4 late Tuesday but was downgraded to Category 3 before it made landfall. Still, he National Hurricane Center said Idalia made landfall at 7:45 a.m. ET near Keaton Beach with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph.
Idalia had weakened to a Category 1 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds at 90 mph, at 11:26 a.m. ET, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was later downgraded to a tropical storm.
Kenergy announced on social media Wednesday morning that they had crews en route to Berkeley Electric Cooperative, Inc. — the largest not-for-profit electric cooperative in South Carolina — to help with recovery and restoration.
Leslie Barr, Kenergy Communications and Public Relations Specialist, said they sent 14 linemen.
“Our statewide organization, Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, works with other statewide cooperative organizations to coordinate mutual aid during extreme weather events. When the call gets put out from KEC for a mutual aid opportunity, our linemen have the opportunity to volunteer to help out,” she said.
Barr said the focus while there is to restore power to Berkeley’s membership as quickly and safely as possible. She said the linemen will stay there until the full restoration is reached.
“We appreciate the willingness of our linemen to help out other cooperatives who need help,” she said. “It is a selfless act to leave your family and travel toward a storm to help others. We are grateful to have these men as a part of Kenergy.”
Similarly, American Medical Response Owensboro made a social media post about crews heading south to help with recovery efforts.
“Global Medical Response (GMR) has deployed hundreds of first responders, ambulances, paratransit vehicles and air medical helicopters to the areas in Florida affected by Hurricane Idalia,” a spokesperson from Global Medical Response said. “This mobilization is in response to the federal government’s request to American Medical Response for emergency medical services aid as part of its contract with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.”
The spokesperson said deployed crews, who are sent on a volunteer basis, may be assigned to help with the triage, treatment, and transport of patients, as well as provide on-scene medical stand-by. They may also be asked to participate in the transport and placement of patients to help free up bed space at receiving hospitals or provide other patient care-related duties as the local government identifies needs.
The spokesperson said, “We will remain in the affected areas as long as the state and FEMA request our assistance.”
