Challenge:
On February 10, 2021, Southside Electric Cooperative (SEC) executed their emergency response plan in preparation of incoming winter weather. The proceeding storm would coat the trees and powerlines with ¼” of ice, which the infrastructure was built to withstand. Immediately thereafter, the same region would receive another ½” of ice two days later on top of the original coating causing catastrophic damages, downing trees, powerlines, and damaging utility poles. Winter Storm Shirley would cause power outages for 90% of SEC’s members and service territory. Over 850 utility poles were broken, and more than 1,500 trees and limbs took out power lines.
Solution:
EM Partners helped support SEC’s recovery efforts by guiding them through the FEMA Public Assistance process. EM Partners worked to document, organize, and submit all of the necessary documentation, ensuring everything is in compliance with FEMA’s requirements and maximize federal funding. This included mitigation proposals to help avoid damage to SEC’s system from future events.
Benefit:
The experienced and knowledgeable EM Partners staff has successfully organized and submitted documentation of costs totaling over $20 million, allowing SEC staff to focus on their full-time job duties while to maximizing cost recovery from FEMA.
