Unusual winter weather gives storm teams a workout

An unusual stretch of winter weather has Mississippi Power storm crews used to working in hurricanes putting their skills to work dealing with outages due to ice, snow and sleet.

Crews have worked winter storms in Dallas, Pensacola and Georgia over the last three months. And while the conditions might be different, the way the company responds to storms is not.

“Our crews are trained to work in every type of inclement weather,” said Distribution Director Randall Pinkston. “Whether it’s after a hurricane or a snowstorm, our linemen are prepared to help get the lights back on no matter the conditions. They know how to work safely in any environment.”

And it’s not just line crews who are called into action when bad weather hits. Employees also serve as support personnel during storm duty. And employees who do not travel for storms make sure the company’s operations continue running and that Mississippi Power customers receive the same high levels of customer service and reliability that they expect.

“I’m proud of what all the employees do every day, but in the times when they go above and beyond, I’m reminded why Mississippi Power employees are the best of the best,” CEO Ed Holland said.

Even if a storm doesn’t hit, the sustained colder-than-normal temperatures this winter have affected everyone from plant employees to those in customer service, due to increased demands on reliability and higher power bills because of increased energy use.

“Every function of the company is involved in storm readiness,” said Jeff Franklin, vice president of the Customer Services Organization. “Nobody is better than Mississippi Power at keeping the lights on every day, and getting them back on after a storm event.”