Right-of-Way Crews Respond to Debby Damage
By Jeremy Wise, Marketing Manager
Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative’s (CVEC) outside crews respond to a few mutual aid requests annually.
Despite a considerable volume accumulated throughout the years, something unique happened in August when Hurricane Debby struck northern Florida. 2 full crews of CVEC’s right-of-way workers — without line crew support — were asked to respond to the stricken area.
Talquin Electric Cooperative’s request for full right-of-way crews without linemen is believed to be a first in CVEC’s history.
In years past, right-of-way crews have served in disaster areas alongside lineworker crews. Once, a 2-man right-of-way team responded to Baldwin Electric Membership Corporation without lineworker accompaniment.
Robert Smith, CVEC manager of operations and a lineman for 39 years, says right-of-way support in disaster areas allows lineworkers to complete restoration tasks more easily.
“As a lineman, we’d have to cut our right-of-way by ourselves. Then we’d get in the bucket truck, and we were worn out,” he says of his prior experiences without right-of-way crews. “When you have right-of-way guys or a skid steer to clear your paths — especially after tornadoes — it’s a big difference maker.”
Debby Downs Trees, Lines
Hurricane Debby made landfall in the early morning hours of August 5. At 8 a.m., CVEC’s Brian Clements, Stevie Williams, Hunter Fals, Dustin Irvin, Jared Bishop, and Jason Bishop left CVEC’s headquarters en route to assist Quincy-based Talquin.
Despite being on the western — and weaker — side of Debby, the Tallahassee-area cooperative suffered more than 21,000 outages.
“We were like 50 or 55 minutes away from where it actually hit when we first started working there,” Williams says. “We didn’t see any major storm damage until the 2nd or 3rd day.”
“When we pulled a pole the last day, they did have a lot of wire down, some broken poles,” Clements, a crew chief, adds. “That was a little further east — we finally made it a little further east where there was a good bit of damage."
Working in northern Florida placed many of the right-of-way crew in unique situations without the comforts of home.
For instance, the crews used a skid steer with a special attachment to help Talquin remove damaged poles and set new ones. Florida’s soil is softer than the hardy clay and rock of Alabama’s mountains, providing a different set of challenges.
“It’s sandy soil. The holes will collapse on you quickly,” Jared Bishop says.
“By the time you dig 1 out, it’s caving in right behind you,” Clements adds.
Additionally, the crews worked alongside unfamiliar personnel — anyone ranging from Talquin’s contract right-of-way crews to other visiting cooperative crews. A strong focus on safety and teamwork allowed the CVEC six to complete their assigned tasks within 2 days without incident.
“Our linemen make sure everything is grounded for us. Going down there, you’ve got to take care of yourself,” Clements says. “You got to make sure lines are grounded.
“Every time I asked, they made sure the line was dead. They took care of us. They were good people — no trouble whatsoever.”
Future Opportunities
Clements notes the efficiency of CVEC’s crews surprised Talquin personnel and others working in the disaster area. After not initially requesting the skid steer, Talquin asked CVEC to use it for a couple of pole changeouts.
“You can make roads with it in bad terrain,” Smith adds.
Smith hopes the Hurricane Debby response opens more opportunities for CVEC’s right-of-way crews to assist in future disasters.
“If people call on them again, I sure don’t mind sending them,” he says.