When storms hit hard, linemen play a critical role in the repair of electrical power systems.
For many linemen, the experience of providing aid in the wake of a natural disaster is both physically and emotionally demanding, many working 16-hour days far from their homes and families.
This information comes from those who are currently working to provide power for Augusta after the impact of Hurricane Helene.
“We’ve had a bunch of long hours out here…we have a job to do, and you know, we’ve got to do it safely,” said Cody Roark, a lineman who was busy at work in North Augusta on Thursday night.
Roark noted that the gratitude he and his coworkers have seen from the Augusta community has encouraged them to keep going.
“The people around here, you know, they treat us really great, bringing us water, buying us snacks, food…that means a lot to know your work’s appreciated,” he said.
Daily challenges
One lineman currently working in Augusta, who asked to remain unnamed, said that every day on the job looks different, and workers could be dealing with anything from fallen poles, damaged wires or bad transformers.
“You really don’t know until you get out there,” he said.
This lineman, who is based in Florida, said he has a fiancèe at home who is five months pregnant.
“It’s hard for a lot of guys,” he said about his fellow linemen. “[But] it’s a lot harder on their wives.”
He also said that material shortages can create delays in work: “That slows us down.”
Another anonymous lineman said that it’s been hard for him to be away from his young daughter. “Being away from home, I don’t like it,” he said. “But, it’s what we signed up for.”
This lineman also noted that one of the primary challenges others in his field face during recovery efforts are misconceptions from different communities that they aren’t working quickly enough.
“We can’t do anything without permission,” he said.
He noted that turning on power haphazardly can put others’ – and their own – lives at risk.
“The work, it seems slow, but it has to be slow at first.”
Showing appreciation
For that lineman, one the most rewarding parts of the job is the appreciation received by community members along the way.
He recounted that during recovery efforts after Hurricane Ian, he was given a thank you note from a young girl in the area. Ian was a 2022 hurricane that heavily impacted eastern North Carolina, the southwest coast of Florida and Cuba.
“It is nice to help everybody out,” he said. “I think the world goes around by helping one another.”
