Mississippi Power has been announced as an Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Emergency Response Award recipient for the company’s response following the EF-2 tornado that tore through Moss Point in June.
Restoration efforts in Moss Point included a storm team of 500 Mississippi Power employees and additional resources working around the clock to restore service to customers.
Less than 36 hours after the tornado, all 8,000 impacted customers who could receive power had their service restored.
Roughly 50,000 Mississippi residents were impacted at some point during the week due to straight-line winds, tornadoes, and lighting. In Moss Point alone, 75 poles, 50 transformers, and over eight miles of power lines were replaced following the tornado.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by EEI for our storm team’s tremendous efforts last summer,” Mississippi Power Storm Director Melvin Roland explained. “A week’s worth of severe weather was tough on our customers, but our storm team did what they are trained to do. They got the lights back on safely and returned a small sense of normalcy to the Moss Point community.”
Presented to EEI member companies twice a year, the Emergency Response Awards recognize recovery and assistance efforts of electric companies following service disruptions caused by extreme weather or other natural events.
Mississippi Power’s storm response was chosen by a panel of judges following an international nomination process, with the awards being presented during EEI’s winter Board of Directors and CEO meeting.
“America’s electric companies are committed to serving their communities and to restoring power safely and as quickly as possible following severe storms and other extreme weather events,” EEI President and CEO Dan Brouillette added. “I applaud Mississippi Power’s commitment to restoring service under challenging conditions following the severe weather across their service territory and the tornado in Moss Point.”
