Forty-six Baldwin EMC employees have departed for Florida to help restore power following Hurricane Irma, which has left more than six million Florida residents without power. The departure is in response to a request from Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc., headquartered in Keystone Heights, Fla.

The Baldwin EMC crews, including linemen, mechanics and engineers, departed Monday morning at 11:45 a.m. from the co-op’s Summerdale headquarters. The men packed food, water, clothing and other necessary items for an estimated stay of 10-12 days.

Clay Electric, one of the largest electric cooperatives in the U.S., serves approximately 170,000 member-owned accounts. The co-op maintains six district offices and its service area spans 14 North Florida counties.

Baldwin EMC is part of a nationwide network of electric cooperatives that assist each other in times of natural disasters. Baldwin EMC has provided assistance numerous times to other cooperatives across the southeast following hurricanes, tornadoes and ice storms.