WEST VIRGINIA (LOOTPRESS) – Appalachian Power has successfully restored power to all 282,000 customers affected by Hurricane Helene, one of the most devastating storms in the company’s history.
The restoration effort, completed just over a week after the hurricane, involved a massive workforce of 7,360 people and extensive community support to address the widespread damage.
Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm in Florida on September 26, later weakening but leaving catastrophic destruction across multiple states.
It was the deadliest U.S. hurricane since Katrina in 2005, leaving nearly 6 million people in 10 states without power.
Appalachian Power saw significant impacts, with 175,820 customers in Virginia, 84,920 in West Virginia, and 21,260 in Tennessee losing electricity.
To prepare for the storm, Appalachian Power had personnel on alert and ready to respond.
Mutual aid crews from 27 states assisted in the restoration, with over 7,000 workers rebuilding the energy grid.
Crews faced numerous challenges, including historic flooding, downed trees, and debris, along with road and bridge closures.
Assessors, including 320 workers on foot, by drone, and by helicopter, evaluated damage at 3,100 unique locations across Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee.
Forestry crews removed hazardous trees and debris, and special equipment like helicopters and digger derricks were used to access hard-to-reach areas.
The restoration required replacing 1,455 poles, 214 miles of wire, and 438 transformers. In some locations, workers had to hand-dig holes for new poles, a process that could take several hours.
