The storm may have been swift moving, but the 70 mph winds where enough to break power poles and cause thousands of power outages in southeast Mississippi.
“Our crews have been working hard since about 5:30 this morning,” said Singing River Electric Cooperative general manager and CEO Brian Hughey. “We have also steadily placed visiting crews to work as they arrive.”
Singing River Electric doubled its outside workforce by bringing in crews from electric cooperatives across the state. Nationwide, electric cooperatives honor mutual aid agreements and help each other out in times of need. This allows for much shorter outage times for members and quicker restorations.
As of noon today, Singing River Electric has reduced the number of outages to 4,500. This is down from 10,500 at daybreak. The breakdown of outages by counties is:
- George – 801
- Greene – 1,203
- Jackson – 2,148
- Perry – 304
- Wayne – 41
- Mobile (Al) – 62
Crews will continue to work throughout the day to complete restorations.