Oncor is sending more than 100 employees and contractors from North Texas to Florida as the state prepares to endure a direct hit from Hurricane Dorian.
With forecasts showing it could become a Category 4 storm by the time it makes landfall, utility providers in Florida have already asked for extra crews, trucks and resources from other parts of the country, anticipating widespread damage.
The Oncor team took off from their facility in Benbrook early Friday morning before more than 1,100 miles to the Tampa area, where they'll stage until the storm passes.
"Having our crews in place ahead of the storm allows us to quickly identify the areas of highest need once that storm passes," said Kerri Dunn, a spokesperson for Oncor. "And as soon as the weather allows, they'll be out on the roads working to restore power."
Oncor regularly sends help to other parts of the country that are affected by natural disasters -- most recently to sections of California that were devastated by wildfires.
They point out that North Texas was recently on the receiving end of that aid -- and it's critical to pay it forward.
"If you remember in early June, we had some really severe storms in the Dallas/Fort Worth area," Dunn said. "We had 11 different states send in mutual assistance crews to help us get that power turned on. So we're very honored to be returning that service."
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Oncor won't know how long their crews will need to stay in Florida -- or if they'll have to send additional resources -- until after the storm hits. But Dunn said they're prepared to be there for several weeks.
