KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative is sending four linemen and three trucks to southern Louisiana to assist with Hurricane Ida recovery.
DEMCO, an electric cooperative northwest of New Orleans, sent out a call for help after the hurricane hit the area Sunday. The Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives is leading a coordinated effort to assist DEMCO, according to a news release from the Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative.
DEMCO said about 63% of its customers are without power because of the hurricane, and the restoration effort could take multiple weeks.
Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative has sent crews to Louisiana in the past to assist with disaster restoration. Last year, the cooperative sent three crews to help the Beauregard Electric Cooperative, located near the border of Louisiana and Texas, after Hurricane Laura hit its grid.
“We believe it’s important for electric cooperatives to assist each other in times of need,” Dave Deihl, CEO and general manager of the Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative, said. “Our employees have once again stepped up to the plate to take on the difficult task of restoring power to a heavily damaged community, just as others have done for us in the past when our cooperative faced extensive damage from natural disasters.”
Hurricane Ida was a category 4 hurricane when it made landfall in southern Louisiana with 145 mph winds. The hurricane hit the Louisiana coastal area on the 16th anniversary of the devastating Hurricane Katrina.
