OUC crews head to Louisiana to help restore power after Hurricane Laura

ORLANDO, Fla. - Central Florida power crews are heading into the path of the storm.

Twelve employees with the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) left on Thursday morning to make their way to Lafayette, Louisiana. 

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Hurricane Laura made landfall in the early morning hours as a devastating Category 4 storm. OUC is part of the country’s municipal aid network, so they will immediately make resources available to assist those in need.

The 12 employees who have volunteered for this duty do not know how long they will be away from their families. 

The team includes 11 line technicians and a fleet mechanic. All of them have been trained on additional safety, sanitation, and social distancing protocols during the pandemic. 

On Thursday morning, the Associated Press reported that nearly 470,000 homes and businesses were without power in Texas and Louisiana.