Nearly 100 workers from 13 electric membership corporations (EMCs) in Georgia, including Grady EMC, headed to Kentucky to help the state restore power to areas hardest hit by the recent winter storm.

“Being an electric co-op means calling upon your neighbors during emergencies,” says Donnie Prince with Grady EMC. “We have an unwritten agreement that says if we’re in trouble, they help us. In return, we help them.”

EMC crews from Georgia are working to restore power to approximately 200,000 co-op customers following massive power outages due to thick layers of snow and ice causing downed trees and power lines.

Due to the extent of damage to distribution and transmission lines, some customers were without power for several days.

The EMCs in Georgia have vast experience in restoring power following major weather events. In addition to recent efforts in Georgia, EMC crews have worked alongside electric co-ops in South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida and Texas to repair damage to the distribution system in the aftermath of winter storms, hurricanes and tornadoes.