Electric Crews Are Staying In Florida

Arkansas utility crews dispatched to Florida to help out after Hurricane Charley came ashore have been asked to stay a little bit longer. Entergy Arkansas had dispatched 120 linemen after Charley came ashore August 13th. The company said crews will be there longer than first expected. An Entergy spokesman said crews from Arkansas and Mississippi helped Progress Electric rebuild its system in the Orlando area. During the rebuilding, workers had to deal with rain, heat and gnats and watch out for alligators. The crews were set to come home Sunday morning, but Florida Power and Light called and asked if the crews would stay to work at Punta Gorda, Florida, which was among the hardest hit areas. The damage is so severe in the work area that the crews have to stay at Brandon, Florida, about two hours away. Entergy Arkansas has 42 trucks in Florida, which are left in the parking lot of a Catholic church that is serving as a staging area. Thompson said church workers pray for the linemen at the start of each day, and provide coffee.