BY ANN FOSTER THELEN
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, which devastated parts of the southeastern U.S., Iowa’s electric cooperatives answered the call for assistance, demonstrating the true spirit of the co-op principle of Cooperation Among Cooperatives. This massive Category 4 storm left an estimated 1.25 million electric cooperative members without power, with the Carolinas suffering the most severe damage. Hurricane Helene has been the deadliest hurricane in the Atlantic so far this year, killing at least 228 people. Amid the destruction, Iowa’s electric cooperatives quickly mobilized to support their fellow cooperatives in South Carolina, bringing manpower and essential equipment to help restore power in the hardest-hit areas.
Iowa’s mutual aid response
Hurricane Helene was one of the most destructive storms ever to hit the co-op community, particularly in South Carolina, where more than 425,000 cooperative members lost power. Responding to an urgent request for help, the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives (IAEC) coordinated the deployment of 10 crews made up of 40 linemen, 10 bucket trucks and 10 digger trucks from 11 Iowa co-ops. These crews were crucial to the restoration efforts in the Palmetto State.
On Sept. 29, as power outages spread across South Carolina, the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina reached out to Scott Meinecke, IAEC’s director of safety and loss control, for help. Six Iowa electric cooperatives – Chariton Valley Electric Cooperative, Eastern Iowa Light & Power Cooperative, Farmers Electric Cooperative (Greenfield), Linn County Rural Electric Cooperative, Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative and T.I.P. Rural Electric Cooperative – responded immediately by sending five full crews to assist Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative.
“In Southern storm terms, a crew is four to five men, one digger with pole trailer and one bucket truck,” Meinecke explains.
The next day, with the scope of the damage becoming clearer, South Carolina issued a second request for more assistance. In response, four more Iowa co-ops – Clarke Electric Cooperative, Consumers Energy, Midland Power Cooperative and Western Iowa Power Cooperative – deployed an additional 16 linemen, four bucket trucks, four diggers and four pole trailers to assist Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative.
Meeting unprecedented challenges
The damage caused by Hurricane Helene was described as one of the most catastrophic in South Carolina’s history. The storm snapped more than 5,000 power poles, downed thousands of power lines, and left many areas inaccessible due to fallen trees and flooding. In the hardest-hit regions, particularly those served by Little River Electric Cooperative, 99% of members lost power. Restoring service in these areas posed significant challenges, with some regions facing weeks of outages.
Despite these challenges, Iowa’s electric cooperatives continued to send help. Nishnabotna Valley Rural Electric Cooperative and Midland Power Cooperative dispatched crews to assist Little River Electric Cooperative in restoring power to the approximately 10,000 meters still without service.
The cooperative spirit in action
The work Iowa’s electric cooperatives undertook in South Carolina is part of a broader, nationwide effort to assist regions hit by natural disasters. The response to Hurricane Helene was no different. Crews from 23 states were involved in the restoration effort in South Carolina alone, with more than 3,200 lineworkers working around the clock.
MiEnergy Cooperative, an electric co-op serving members in Iowa and Minnesota, also sent a team of linemen and a bucket truck through the Minnesota Rural Electric Association, extending Iowa’s reach beyond direct coordination with South Carolina.
This vast mobilization of resources was instrumental in restoring power to over 363,000 consumers in South Carolina, with only 7% of the cooperative members still without power by the end of the first week of recovery efforts.
The restoration work included clearing debris, replacing snapped poles and repairing broken lines – often dangerous and grueling work. Crews operated in flooded areas, navigated around downed trees and worked long hours in harsh conditions.
Support and gratitude
These efforts were not unnoticed. South Carolina’s co-op leaders expressed deep gratitude for the help they received from Iowa and other states. Mike Couick, CEO of the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, acknowledged the hard work and dedication of the lineworkers, stating, “Our folks are doing everything they can to help by restoring power as quickly as possible to the communities that remain out. Our work won’t stop until the very last light is back on.”
Back in Iowa, IAEC and its member co-ops kept their communities informed through updates on social media and encouraged their followers to keep the linemen in their thoughts and prayers as they worked to restore power to South Carolina’s residents.
Iowa’s linemen, alongside thousands of others from across the country, have shown that when disaster strikes, the cooperative network stands ready to help – no matter how far they have to go to lend a hand.
Ann Foster Thelen is the editor of Iowa Electric Cooperative Living magazine.
