Answering the Call from Carolina

In early October, Wheatland Electric sent a dozen linemen to South Carolina to assist with repair and relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene, America's deadliest storm in nearly two decades. Helene, a catastrophic cyclone that produced a wide swath of damage and loss of life, extended from northwestern Florida, across Tennessee, to Georgia and the Carolinas. Some estimates put the economic impact of the storm as high as $200 billion, making it the the costliest storm in U.S. history. In this episode, hear from two of our linemen, Jesse Harbrige and Kris Lehmann, about their trials and experiences answering a mutual aid request from Aiken Electric Cooperative in South Carolina. Harbrige and Lehmann joined about 70 additional lineworkers from Kansas to aid with the infrastructure rebuild in this part of the country. Mutual aid requests are part of a longstanding culture of cooperation within the national electric cooperative industry, aimed at restoring power quickly and safely for affected communities. It's one of seven principles that guide what we do: Cooperation Among Cooperatives. Listen to learn more! Connect with us on social!