On Thursday morning, Jan. 21, CAEC released eight journeyman linemen, accompanied with four bucket trucks, to assist Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC) in Arrington, Va., in anticipation of widespread power outages associated with forecasted high winds, heavy snow and flooding from Winter Storm Jonas.

Fortunately the storm did not cause as many outages for CVEC as anticipated. Winds kept the snow from building up on tree limbs and ice did not form on the power lines, both of which are main causes of outages during winter storms. As a result, crews were able to complete their work in Virginia and return home safely to Alabama on Sunday, Jan. 24.

Alabama is part of a nationwide network of nearly 1,000 electric cooperatives that come together to assist each other in times of disaster.