'It's Deja Vu All Over Again,' to Quote Yogi Berra
A Letter to Tri-County Members

>> Tropical Storm Frances is another in a long line of storms, too many to count, that I have seen in my 37 years of utility work. I know I should not be surprised by the sheer force of Mother Nature. However, it still amazes me to see the damage 60-mile-per-hour winds and over 6 inches of rain can cause for trees and buildings. Power lines are no match for these forces. Within a few hours, approximately 10,000 Tri-County accounts lost electrical service. The system suffered several thousands of dollars in damages to poles and wires.

The only things that can be predicted accurately are the reactions of people during these stressful events. Many are frustrated by the loss of electrical power. In today's technological world, why can't the utility simply flip a switch and reset the power? We have all become dependent on refrigeration, air-conditioning, microwaves and instant information and communication. We are lost without electricity. It is so much a part of our daily lives that we tend to take it for granted. Fewer and fewer can remember when it was a luxury.                                                     

>> A line crew works to repair a power line as a crew in the distance repairs a broken crossarm. <<

I can recount literally hundreds of stories of human kindness and compassion demonstrated during the week of Sept. 6. Neighbors came together to help others. Individuals gave of their time and energy. Early Tuesday morning, during the worst of the storm, a Jones County resident was cutting a large oak tree to clear Georgia Highway 18. He left asking the Deputy Sheriff where the next tree was down. Local merchants called and provided food and refreshments for our employees, at no charge. Homes with electrical service opened their doors to offer shelter and comfort to others. Several local contractors came to offer tree clearing and other services.

Among the true heroes from Frances are the employees of the local utilities who brave the storms to answer the phones and restore service to the communities where they live. Two Tri-County workers had their vehicles damaged by falling trees on the way to the office. Several left young children and their spouses in a dark house to report to work. Tuesday afternoon, after more than 24 hours on duty, I asked several employees to take a break, go home, and rest for a few hours. They all responded that we still had outages and wanted to keep going. I reluctantly agreed to allow them to work until 8:00 p.m. and take a mandatory rest break.  Many went home to a still dark house and a cold shower. Office staff put on their jeans and work boots and worked 20 hours in the wind and rain to help restore service. One said let me go home, put my children to bed, and I'll be back to work the midnight shift. Another part time employee volunteered to work all night because her test for a college class was not until 9:30 the next morning. These stories are repeated at all utilities, every time the lights go out.

As I finish this article, we still have around 1,000 members without service. The employees have logged more than 48 hours since the storm began and the end is still many hours away. Tonight will bring more discomfort for the members without electricity and little rest for the service team. Tomorrow will be another long, tiring day. I do not know how many more storms I will see during my watch. I do know that each will, again, demonstrate the compassionate, determined spirit of people working together to overcome whatever obstacles they may face. <<

C. Hill Bentley, CEO