“Cooperation Among Cooperatives” is one of the principles that govern all cooperatives. So, when Hurricane Michael devastated parts of Florida and south Georgia, Jackson EMC was one of several electric cooperatives in the Southeast to answer calls for help from fellow cooperatives to restore power.

In south Georgia, all of Grady EMC’s 19,000-plus members lost power from Hurricane Michael. Jackson EMC sent 63 team members to help restore power to Grady EMC’s members.

“This could happen anywhere,” said Jeremiah Nash, a Jackson EMC line foreman who was part of the restoration effort in Cairo, Georgia. “It could happen at our house. It could happen wherever.”

Grady EMC housed visiting crews in large tents for overnight accommodations, while many residents volunteered to provide meals to crews.

“A lot of people count on linemen to get the power back on,” Nash said. “So, we don’t mind helping – staying away from home for however long if it helps everybody else out.”

After our crews returned from Grady EMC, another group of 21 Jackson EMC team members traveled to Florida to help Gulf Coast Electric Membership Cooperative restore power. Gulf Coast Electric serves 20,815 members. Its service area includes Panama City and Mexico Beach, which were some of the hardest hit areas by the hurricane on Oct. 11.

After a week of supporting restoration efforts around the Panama City area, our crews returned home.