OG&E Continues Long Tradition Of Mutual Aid For Disaster Recovery

When others are in need, the Oklahoma standard spreads far past state lines. For decades, the Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company (OG&E) has sent linemen out to help states recover from natural disasters.

Since 1919 OG&E has conducted 92 deployments. These efforts have helped restore power to hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses across the country.

According to Aaron Cooper, OG&E Manager of Corporate Communications, OG&E crews have responded to a wide range of severe weather events, including ice storms, tornadoes, windstorms, and major hurricanes like Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Katrina. The company's assistance has spanned from nearby cities such as Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Little Rock, Arkansas, to distant locations like Florida, New Jersey, and Indiana.

Most recently, OG&E sent over 100 line men to Florida to help restore power following Hurricane Milton.

OG&E has collaborated with 27 electric companies in 54 towns and cities, traveling over 4 million miles and working more than 566,000 hours in the process. In the past three years alone, OG&E has spent over 53,000 hours on restoration efforts across 41 days, traveling more than 462,000 miles. Recent deployments have included power restoration following hurricanes and winter storms in Florida, Atlanta, and Richmond.

Mutual aid deployments typically last up to 14 days, with the requesting electric companies funding the efforts to expedite restoration for their customers. OG&E rotates additional crews as necessary while ensuring that service remains uninterrupted for customers in its Oklahoma and Western Arkansas service areas.

Through each deployment, OG&E and its crews bring the Oklahoma Standard to communities in need across the country.