Toronto Hydro crews answering call for help after Hurricane Irma devastates Florida

Toronto Hydro crews departed their Etobicoke facility this morning bound for Tampa, Florida. (CNW Group/Toronto Hydro Corporation)

Toronto Hydro crews loaded up 15 vehicles to take to Tampa, Florida to help restore power following Hurricane Irma. (CNW Group/Toronto Hydro Corporation)

Tampa Electric Company made formal request for assistance yesterday

TORONTO, Sept. 12, 2017 /CNW/ - Toronto Hydro has sent 28 employees and 15 trucks to Florida to help restore power following Hurricane Irma.

Damage throughout Florida is severe and millions of customers are without power. Our crews are travelling to the Tampa area, which is on Florida's Gulf Coast, to provide emergency assistance and help restore power to people dealing with the devastating aftermath of the hurricane.

We had offered up resources to any utility in Florida that needed help on Sunday. Tampa Electric accepted the offer late in the afternoon on Monday.

Crews are driving bucket trucks and other vehicles to Florida and the trip is expected to take approximately two and a half days. They departed from our Etobicoke location at around 9:30 a.m. today.

QUICK FACTS

• Tampa Electric Company serves about 730,000 customers in West Central Florida
• Toronto Hydro is a member of the North Atlantic Mutual Assistance Group (NAMAG). NAMAG is a consortium of 26 utilities from across the North Atlantic that have signed an agreement to share resources during an emergency, like the 2013 ice storm, tropical storms, hurricanes, and other disasters
• Tampa Electric Company belongs to a similar mutual aid group called the Southeast Electric Exchange (SEE). NAMAG and SEE are working together to coordinate requests for assistance

QUOTES

"The destruction in Florida is extreme. The images on the news show severe damage to numerous towns and cities. Electricity will be essential for the re-building process, which is why we're answering the call for help and sending crews to Tampa."

-  John Borowitz, General Manager, Distribution Grid Operations and Emergency Management, Toronto Hydro

ABOUT TORONTO HYDRO

Toronto Hydro owns and operates the electricity distribution system for Canada's largest city. A leader in conservation and demand management, it has 765,000 customers located in the city of Toronto and distributes approximately 19% of the electricity consumed in Ontario.

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SOURCE Toronto Hydro Corporation

Tori Gass, Communications and Public Relations, 416-903-4037, [email protected]; 24-hour media line: 416-903-6845, [email protected]

Related Links

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