Mishawaka Utilities crew heading south to help restore power after Hurricane Helene hits

MISHAWAKA — Five members of the Mishawaka Utilities electric division are heading to Valdosta, Ga., for deployment into Florida after Hurricane Helene to help restore power lost to outages caused by the storm.

The team of five in two utility trucks is expected to help in restoring power and infrastructure after the hurricane makes landfall sometime Thursday night and makes its way north through Florida and Georgia.

The mutual aid system commonly seeks out and provides workers to help in natural disasters like hurricanes. Nearly two years ago to the day in 2022, eight members of the Mishawaka Utilities department joined some 350 members of Indiana Michigan Power to help with electrical restoration in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. The electrical workers from I&M were from South Bend, Elkhart, Muncie and Fort Wayne.

Matt Lentsch, executive director of development with Mishawaka Utilities, said the Indiana Municipal Electric Association , which operates a mutual aid program with other states during natural disasters, called for volunteers for the mutual aid.

“The City of Mishawaka takes great pride in our dedicated utility crews. Their willingness to step up during times of crisis is a testament to their professionalism, skill, and commitment to serving others,” Mayor Dave Wood said in a prepared statement.

Email Tribune staff writer Greg Swiercz at gswiercz@sbtinfo.com .

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Mishawaka Utilities crew heading south to help restore power after Hurricane Helene hits