AEP storm workers begin to head home after Hurricane Sandy restoration

An Indiana Michigan Power Company employee repairs underground network equipment in New York City.

AEP workers who have been involved in mutual assistance work for other utilities after Hurricane Sandy and the nor’easter storm in Northeastern states are now in the process of heading home.

“Releases have started and company and contract crews are traveling home,” said Jim Nowak, manager – Emergency Restoration Planning. “All employees should be released by Friday.” Some crews have already begun traveling home, while utilities have asked other crews to stay an extra day.

Reports from the field indicate that utilities that AEP assisted have been extremely pleased with the safety practices and work ethic demonstrated by AEP workers.

Appalachian Power workers were given high praise on Facebook by a Belleville, N.J., resident: “Out of 3,000 workers that came to our state to help, one group stood out. Appalachian Power from West Virginia stood out. One crew, 213 men came in the middle of last week and did things that were amazing  . . . This group is credited for turning on the power for well over 100K people in 6 days. That is about 9 percent of the state that was out. 213 people. That is it!!!”

The New Jersey resident went on to say that a friend who worked for a home-state utility told him, “We gave them a task and they got it done fast and correctly. They did it because it is their love and passion. They care for others and they got the task done in half the time it took other crews. If the other 2800 people worked like them, power would have been back in 4 days max for all.”

At the peak of outages following the Oct. 29 landfall of Hurricane Sandy, an estimated 8.5 million people in the eastern U.S. were without power.

AEP crews have been working primarily in New York, New Jersey and northeastern West Virginia. During the restoration effort, approximately 50 percent of all AEP’s company and contract line resources were working in the Northeast. All seven operating companies have been involved in the effort, primarily assisting Consolidated Edison, Long Island Power Authority, Public Service Electric & Gas, and FirstEnergy.

Some crews have been away from home for weeks — first assisting Appalachian Power restoring outages in West Virginia and Virginia, then traveling to assist outside utilities further north and east.

At last report, AEP Ohio crews have been assisting Consolidated Edison (Orange and Rockland) in New York, and FirstEnergy in New Jersey (Jersey Central Power & Light) and West Virginia (Monongahela Power). Some employees were assigned service restoration work in the Coney Island area of Brooklyn.

AEP Texas crews have been assisting Con Ed and FirstEnergy (Mon Power); Appalachian Power crews have been assisting PSE&G; Indiana Michigan Power crews have been assisting Con Ed, FirstEnergy (Mon Power and JCP& L); Kentucky Power crews have been assisting FirstEnergy (Mon Power); Public Service Company of Oklahoma crews have been assisting First Energy (Mon Power and JCP&L); Southwestern Electric Power Company crews have been assisting FirstEnergy (Mon Power and JCP&L). AEP Ohio and I&M underground network crews have assisted Con Ed in New York City.

Lodging for AEP crews in the storm-devastated areas included hotels and tent cities set up for storm restoration workers at staging areas.