VIRGINIA, USA — Thursday afternoon was sunny over Skulls Gap in Virginia. Ameren Illinois Vice President of Electric Operations Luke Wolleen found a spot with strong enough connection to meet over Zoom with the team at 5 On Your Side.
"We're in the Appalachian mountain area here," Wolleen said. "The damage has been pretty significant."
His crews have seen extensive flooding in low lying areas at the base of mountain grades.
Ameren Illinois' crew of linemen are working on restoring power to the Virginia grid.
Describing the area of Smyth County, Virginia, Wolleen said, "This terrain is very different than what we have in Illinois. The area where we just came from, it's very difficult access. We had to take side by sides up to get as close as we could."
Side by sides are like an off-road golf cart. Wolleen said it has been a challenge to even get the them through the dense forest and over rugged terrain.
Working in Illinois, most crews are able to utilize their bucket trucks and pull right up to the job site. Wolleen said Virginia is very different: "Here, the the crews are climbing all the poles, doing everything through climbing."
The power poles climbed by those linemen had to be delivered by air.
"They actually helicoptered the poles in," Wolleen said," and now our team is in there, stringing the wire, putting the wire back up, splicing it where it's broken and working with the tree trimming crews to get that cleared.
Crews are being paid by the energy provider of that area. Wolleen said they may be there through the weekend.
Ameren Illinois is not the only crew assisting in the recovery after Helene; a crew from the Cuivre River Electric Cooperative is also lending a hand. Their team is in Georgia restoring downed lines and damaged poles.