Baldwin EMC is sending 20 employees to assist Lee County Electric Cooperative in North Fort Myers, Fla., with their power restoration efforts following Hurricane Ian. The crews will depart from the co-op’s Summerdale headquarters on Monday, October 3.

Lee County Electric Cooperative’s service area took a direct hit from Hurricane Ian, resulting in extensive damage to their electric system. As a result of the storm, more than 90 percent of their nearly 240,000 members in Southwest Florida were left without power due to fallen wires, damaged poles, and severe flooding.

“When Hurricane Sally impacted our area in 2020, crews from several of our sister cooperatives in Florida traveled many miles to help us restore power. We will never forget how grateful we were for the help we received, and we’re thankful for the opportunity to be there for other cooperatives in their time of need,” says Baldwin EMC CEO Karen Moore.

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.