Cooperatives Help States Manage Ice Storm Damage
by February 18, 2002 12:00 am 70 views
Ozarks Electric Cooperative, a member of the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, dispatched three teams of work crews to assist the cooperatives in Oklahoma and Kansas that were disabled by the January winter storms.
Kay Electric Cooperative in Blackwell, Okla., used two teams of six workers from Ozarks Electric. Each team worked five-day shifts to repair the damage. Radiant Electric Cooperative in Freedonia, Kan., used 11 workmen and four trucks for about a week.
Although the total cost of the relief effort was not available, Ozarks Electric spokesperson Penny Storms said the government will reimburse the companies for their expenses.
Storms said about 20,000 poles were broken in the storm, leaving more than 200,000 residents in Oklahoma without electricity.
Other members of the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas that leant crews and equipment to Kansas and Oklahoma include Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative and Carroll Electric Cooperative.