LP&L Crews Head to Florida for Hurricane Milton Recovery

LUBBOCK, TX — Lubbock Power & Light is sending new crews to Gainesville, FL, to assist with Hurricane Milton recovery efforts. According to a press release, the 13 vehicles and 15 crew members will replace the 15 LP&L employees recently returning from Hurricane Helene recovery operations.

The convoy departed from the LP&L Distribution Center on Tuesday, first traveling to Ruston, Louisiana, before continuing to Gainesville. The crew will shelter in Gainesville until the storm passes, ready to assist with power restoration.

The team consists of two construction crews, two service crews, and one mechanic. According to the release, this deployment is part of a mutual aid agreement allowing LP&L to assist in disaster recovery efforts nationwide. 

"Florida's recovery from these consecutive hurricanes will take time, but mutual aid ensures we can contribute to their swift recovery," said Joel Ivy, LP&L Chief Administrative Officer. 

"We’re proud to be part of the nationwide effort to bring communities back on their feet and demonstrate the power of collaboration in times of crisis."

Recently, LP&L has been helping Gainesville Regional Utilities recover from Hurricane Helene. 

Pre-assessments show GRU faced significant damage—its worst since Hurricane Irma in 2017. The earlier recovery process involved replacing around 100 utility poles, 70 transformers, and extensive lengths of conductors. The first round of LP&L crews worked over 195 hours and traveled nearly 3,000 miles to help restore power.

As Florida deals with the aftermath of both hurricanes, local resources remain strained, and LP&L is continuing its support.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is said to reimburse all expenses incurred by LP&L for these recovery efforts due to the disaster declaration.