Gruelling days and gratitude for Canadian linemen helping with U.S. hurricane outages

Stéphan Perreault and his team have been helping restore power in North Carolina since Hurricane Helene hit in late September, and they don't expect to be heading home any time soon.

They are some of the hundreds — possibly thousands — of Canadian line workers who have been called into service to help rebuild power grids after Helene and now Hurricane Milton have left millions of Americans in the dark.

Perreault says the line workers have witnessed scenes of devastation from Helene while operating 16 hours per day in challenging conditions that include washed out roads and power grids wiped out by wind and flooding.

"We see homes carried away by water, we see cars buried under mud, we see completely destroyed electrical grids," he said. Hurricane Helene also caused at least 227 deaths. While Perreault hasn't seen any loss of human life himself, he said the workers have witnessed plenty of tough moments, including meeting distraught people who have lost homes and pets.

Perreault said the team's work around Asheville, N.C., was starting to near completion when Milton hit. He said some teams have already headed toward northern Florida to help with that storm, which initially left some three million without power, and he expects to follow.

Ontario's Hydro One said Thursday it had sent 50 additional workers to help restore power in Florida after Milton, in addition to the 100 who were sent to the United States after Helene. Nova Scotia Power sent about 35 people to Florida. "It’s important to help our neighbours and they do the same to support us during major storms here in Nova Scotia," the utility said.

Perreault says the pair of companies he works for — Gagnon Line Construction and Holland Power Service — have more than 700 people on the ground from several provinces, including Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. Perreault, who is based in Quebec's Eastern Townships, says many power companies, including Hydro-Québec and local companies in Sherbrooke, Magog, Coaticook and Jonquière, have allowed their employees to take leave to join the effort in the U.S.

Daniel Dumas of Quebec-based power line company EEA says the teams in North Carolina have been living in difficult conditions, sleeping 16 people to a trailer and eating at a food tent in a makeshift workers camp. Dumas, who was heading to join the team on Friday, said they wake up at 5:30 a.m. and work until 9 or 9:30 p.m. rebuilding the washed-out grid.

But he says they're encouraged by the gratitude shown to the Canadian crews who are greeted "like heroes" by citizens who offer food, coffee and thanks. In one memorable moment, a preacher even approached one of the work trucks to bless the crew, he said.

"We could fill up pickup trucks with all the doughnuts, and fill a pool with all the coffee we've been given," he said. "Lots of food, lots of recognition, people are very grateful." 

Perreault says the same. While the trip has been filled with difficult moments, he's also been struck by small gestures of kindness, including from people who have offered the use of their ATVs and golf carts and brought out snacks and water, and restaurants that have quickly jumped to feed the hungry workers.

Pierre Duval, an employee of Ontario-based Sproule Powerline, was heading from South Carolina to Florida on Friday. He said he saw flooding, downed power lines, and trees that fell on houses, "like you see on TV."

"It's a mess … just a mess," he said. 

Duval, from Alfred and Plantagenet, Ont., said the job in recent weeks has been challenging, but it's nothing he isn't used to — except for the heat. He's been in the United States for about two weeks so far, and said he had no idea when he'd be heading home. 

"Oh my God, I don't know," he said. "I don't call the shots for that. Whenever they release us, we just go back home and it's a three-day drive back."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.

With files from The Associated Press