KU and other Kentuckians helping after Debby slams the southeast

(WKYT) – Debby has been wreaking havoc across the southeast, making landfall as a hurricane in Florida early Monday morning and then again as a tropical storm in South Carolina early Thursday.

Many groups from Kentucky, including Kentucky Utilities and Emergency Disaster Services, have been in the southeast helping provide relief.

“This week, we’ve sent about 110 of our contractors. These are line technicians and tree trimmers to assist with the efforts down there. Other utility help as well, so a lot of crews gathered to help get power restored,” said Daniel Lowry of Kentucky Utilities.

Lowry says Kentucky Utilities has mainly been in the Carolinas, while Emergency Disaster Services has focused on Florida.

“Massive flooding, major road closures, a lot of debris in the road, and we had a small contingency that started setting up base camps throughout the Big Bend area,” said Matt Daley, director at Emergency Disaster Services.

It is typical that both organizations help out with disaster assistance like this. Daley was in the same area of Florida last year when Hurricane Idalia hit.

Daley says this year the flooding is more notable.

“The rainfall is much more significant. So, the flooding here is in the same area that we were in last year. Literally in seemingly the same footprint as the base camps we erected this time around as it was last year,” said Daley.

Daley says it has been a busy past few months as his crew has assisted in the derecho that hit Houston, wildfires in New Mexico, and Hurricane Beryl.

As of Thursday, Kentucky Utility members have been released from the Carolinas and are coming home. Daley with Emergency Disaster Services said it could be a few days to even weeks before their operations are complete.

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