Lubbock Power & Light linemen returns after Hurricane Helene, another crew awaits Hurricane Milton

LUBBOCK, Texas — Just as one set of Lubbock Power & Light (LP&L) linemen returned home after helping with hurricane recovery efforts in Florida, another crew is stationed there, preparing for Hurricane Milton.

The linemen who returned to Lubbock said the damage caused by Hurricane Helene was challenging to repair, and they expect conditions to be even tougher for the next group.

“I can’t imagine going through that every year,” said Mason Cain, a lineman who just returned home.

The LP&L crew received a call for assistance from Gainesville, Florida, at 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 24. Cain said they “were cutting it kind of close to when the storm was supposed to be hitting.”

Four hours later, a crew of 15 linemen from Lubbock was on its way. For the next week, they worked from sunup to sundown, repairing more than 100 broken poles and 70 damaged transformers.

“Just about every block we went to, we worked through subdivisions, picking up everything we could find to get it back on,” Cain said. “People always came out, and everybody that drove by was yelling at us out the windows and very thankful to see us.”

In total, the crew put in over 195 hours of work.

“My family was so excited and so was I. I missed my kids, missed my wife and everyone,” said Brad Harrison, another lineman who recently returned. “They’re nervous when we’re gone.”

As the first team came back, another group of 15 LP&L linemen hit the road, ready to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.

“It’s going to be a little nerve-wracking for them,” Harrison said. “They’ll be nervous, but they’re professionals.”

The linemen said one of the biggest challenges was the terrain.

“You can get a truck to almost anything, but they’re in the backyards. It feels like a jungle… The poles are covered in plants. They look like trees,” Cain said.

The team in Florida is currently staging and preparing for Milton’s arrival.

“We just want everyone that is dispatched down there right now to truly be their brother’s keeper, take care of each other, watch out for each other, and come home safe to your families,” Harrison added.

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