Hurricane Season is Here

Linemen are ready to respond to outages

It’s hurricane season, and when severe weather strikes, Wiregrass Electric Cooperative is prepared. Severe weather affects thousands of people each year, especially in the South, and the Wiregrass area is no stranger to the effects of hurricanes, tropical storms and heavy rains.

Ready for Anything

WEC lineman and WEC utility vehicleEven when bad weather catches WEC by surprise — like last year’s string of tornadoes — linemen are ready 24/7 to restore power after a storm. WEC also takes steps to help prevent outages, like the right-of-way maintenance program in which our servicemen routinely trim tree limbs and cut back undergrowth to protect power lines from falling branches and brush fires.

WEC has great partnerships with privately owned companies that help get service restored quickly after major outages. Mutual aid agreements through the Alabama Rural Electric Cooperatives allow other power providers to send help when needed, and WEC is proud to return the favor when others need our assistance.

Last year, the WEC service area saw some impacts from severe weather, but our neighbors in Louisiana suffered heavy damage and widespread outages as a result of Hurricane Ida in August. When that happened, WEC linemen crews headed out to help, collectively spending 101 days lending a hand in the Pelican State. Assisting those in need when disaster strikes is the cooperative way, and WEC will always be prepared to turn the lights back on both on the homefront and elsewhere.

Prepare Before the Storm

People who know what to do before and after strong storms hit can significantly reduce harm to themselves and their property.

WEC wants you to be knowledgeable about severe weather and provide you with steps you can take to protect yourself and your family. Remember, the time to plan is now, not when severe weather hits.

Here are a few ways you can prepare for severe weather before it hits:

  • Fill up your cars’ gas tanks.
  • Prune dead tree limbs.
  • Learn evacuation routes.
  • Secure loose rain gutters and downspouts.
  • Tape, board up and shutter windows when a storm is imminent to prevent shattering.

For more tips on staying safe before, during and after a severe weather event, check out our Weather Page.

WEC linemen assist with restoration efforts in storm-battered Louisiana following Hurricane Ida in August 2021