Gulf Power News
For Immediate Release – Dec. 8, 2017
Winter Storm Benji sends Gulf Power crews to Mississippi to help restore power
Gulf Power storm crews are heading to Mississippi to help sister company Mississippi Power restore power after Winter Storm Benji blanketed the state with snow and ice.
A 30-member storm team will deploy Friday afternoon to assist in restoration after parts of southern Mississippi received up to half a foot of snow, making Benji one of biggest snowstorms to hit the area since records began. In some parts of the state, more than 80,000 homes and businesses lost power Friday morning.
“Our crews train throughout the year and are ready to help restore power whether at home or away,” said Rick DelaHaya, Gulf Power spokesperson. “That’s the power of being a part of Southern Company — to be able to call on sister companies for help. We make every effort to respond as quickly and safely as possible to unforeseen weather events, whether right here at home or for our neighbors.”
Even though Gulf Power’s customers haven’t experienced a major snowstorm, the energy company’s crews have had plenty of storm restoration practice — they’ve traveled more than 36 times to 14 different states since 2008, assisting in power restoration efforts after storms such as Superstorm Sandy that hit the Northeast Atlantic coast in 2012 and after the devastating tornadoes that hit Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 2011.
In 2016, Gulf Power responded to the City of Tallahassee and Georgia Power following Hurricane Hermine’s landfall. A month later, Gulf Power storm teams responded rapidly to calls for aid from Florida Public Utilities and Georgia Power, assisting with recovery operations following Hurricane Matthew. For these efforts, Gulf Power was awarded the Edison Electric Institute Assistance Award for its extraordinary work assisting in power restoration efforts in a neighboring or nearby electric company.
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About Gulf Power
Gulf Power is an investor-owned energy provider with all of its common stock owned by Atlanta-based Southern Company. Gulf Power serves more than 460,000 customers in eight counties throughout Northwest Florida. The company’s mission is to safely provide exceptional customer value by delivering reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible electricity while strengthening our communities. Visit online at MyGulfPower.com or on the company’s Facebook page or Twitter. News information can be found at GulfPowerNews.com.
News Media Contacts:
Rick DelaHaya
Media Relations Supervisor
850-444-6433, cell 318-294-2338
Kimberly Blair
Media Relations
850-444-6050, cell 850-206-5132