Gulfport, Miss. – Mississippi Power has deployed crews from the Coast, Pine Belt and Meridian areas to Pensacola, Fl., to assist Gulf Power in restoration efforts.

As of this morning, nearly 30,000 Gulf Power customers remained without power due to the severe storms which battered the southeast on Tuesday.

Line crews and additional personnel, who will provide mechanical, safety, security and logistics support, participated in a safety briefing prior to departure.

“Mississippi Power crews have assisted in several recent restoration efforts, already traveling to Pensacola in January, so they are very familiar with the distribution system,” said Distribution and Storm Director Randall Pinkston. "We are able to send crews to Florida to provide assistance, while still meeting the service and reliability needs of our customers here in Mississippi."

After travelling to the Florida Gulf Coast, Mississippi Power employees will receive their work assignments and locations from Gulf Power operations management.

In recent years, Mississippi Power crews have assisted in the restoration effort after winter storms in Arkansas and Texas and spring and summer storms throughout the southeast. In 2012, they travelled to Maryland and several northeastern states after Hurricane Sandy made landfall.

Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and environmentally responsible energy for more than 186,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. Recognized throughout the utility industry for excellence in storm restoration and recovery efforts, Mississippi Power is the 2013 winner of the Edison Electric Institute’s Emergency Assistance Award. Visit our website at www.mississippipower.com, follow us on Twitter, or like us on Facebook.

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