OG&E crews leave for Georgia as Hurricane Helene slams the coast

SHAWNEE, Okla. (KFOR) - Crews with Oklahoma Gas and Electric left for Georgia on Thursday to help with power restoration in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

According to OG&E, trucks carrying almost 100 line crews and support personnel left Shawnee and are expected to arrive in Georgia on Friday to help those affected by the storm.

“As Hurricane Helene makes landfall, our crews are preparing to help restore any power that is lost as quickly and safely possibly,” said Chad Guthrie, OG&E Director of Distribution Construction. “Thanks to our mutual assistance partnerships with electric companies across the nation, we are able to support our neighbors when storms, hurricanes and other disasters cause widespread damage and outages. It energizes our crews to be able to help out others impacted by natural disasters.”

Georgia's biggest electric company, Georgia Power, asked for assistance as the storm is expected to impact much of the state. Additional crews can only be deployed for up to 14 days, but OG&E has more crews to rotate if needed.

“Our crews are ready to provide support and expertise to those impacted by Hurricane Helene,” said Andrea Dennis, OG&E Vice President of Transmission & Distribution Operations. “We understand the profound impact severe weather has on communities, and we are ready to help restore a critical resource: power. I’m grateful to our crews and restoration personnel who step up when communities need it most.”

In 2024, OG&E also responded to Louisiana in mid-September to help with damage caused by Hurricane Francine and south Texas in July to assist after Hurricane Beryl.