With the effort to restore power to Lakeland Electric customers winding down, residents all over Lakeland have been thanking line workers who restored their service after Hurricane Milton knocked it out.

Grateful residents of Shady Lane in Camphor Heights shared their carport fish fry with utility workers from Alabama on Sunday, and Amanda Webster and friends on Augusta Street in northwest Lakeland threw a pizza party on Monday for a crew from Cedarburg Light & Water Utility in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin workers had been replacing wires on a pole after a falling tree pulled it down. After eating their fill, the linemen took a quick picture with the people who supplied the pizza and then went back to work, changing a transformer and rehanging a secondary wire, including re-tensioning and tightening it.

Grateful residents get a photo of linemen from Cedarburg (Wisconsin) Light & Water Utility who restored their power on Augusta Street in northwest Lakeland.

” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/picture-time.jpg?fit=300%2C225&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/picture-time.jpg?fit=780%2C585&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/picture-time.jpg?resize=780%2C585&ssl=1″ alt=”picture time with linemen” class=”wp-image-503361″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/picture-time.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/picture-time.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/picture-time.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/picture-time.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/picture-time.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/picture-time.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/picture-time.jpg?resize=600%2C450&ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/picture-time.jpg?resize=400%2C300&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/picture-time.jpg?resize=200%2C150&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/picture-time.jpg?resize=1568%2C1176&ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/picture-time.jpg?resize=706%2C530&ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/picture-time.jpg?w=2000&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/picture-time-1024×768.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px”>Grateful residents get a photo of linemen from Cedarburg (Wisconsin) Light & Water Utility who restored their power on Augusta Street in northwest Lakeland. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow

Mutual aid: The Cedarburg team are among 500 additional electric line workers who are in Lakeland in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, helping to restore power to the more than 86,000 people who lost it during the storm.

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As of Tuesday afternoon, power had been restored to all but about 500 customers, according to Lakeland Electric’s outage map. Utility spokeswoman Cathryn Lacy said that everyone who can safely receive power to their home or business has or will by Wednesday.

“The good news is they’re moving from job to job pretty quickly, but they’re small jobs. Instead of putting hundreds or thousands of people back in power, we’re doing 10, 20 or 30,” Lacy said.

A damaged weatherhead on Augusta Street.

” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/broken-weatherhead.jpg?fit=197%2C300&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/broken-weatherhead.jpg?fit=673%2C1024&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/broken-weatherhead.jpg?resize=673%2C1024&ssl=1″ alt=”damaged weatherhead” class=”wp-image-503362″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/broken-weatherhead.jpg?resize=673%2C1024&ssl=1 673w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/broken-weatherhead.jpg?resize=197%2C300&ssl=1 197w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/broken-weatherhead.jpg?resize=768%2C1169&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/broken-weatherhead.jpg?resize=1009%2C1536&ssl=1 1009w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/broken-weatherhead.jpg?resize=1200%2C1827&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/broken-weatherhead.jpg?resize=400%2C609&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/broken-weatherhead.jpg?resize=706%2C1075&ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/broken-weatherhead.jpg?w=1216&ssl=1 1216w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/broken-weatherhead-673×1024.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 673px) 100vw, 673px”>A damaged weatherhead on Augusta Street. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow

Issues for linemen: One issue of many that linemen are facing is damaged weatherheads, the entryway through which electrical wires safely enter a home or business. Some are bent or pulled off the wall altogether. It is the owner’s responsibility to have them repaired or replaced and power can’t be turned back on to that property until they have done so, Lacy said.

“Once that is done, they can call us and we come back,’ she added.

Another issue is backyard utility poles. Most bucket trucks can’t get between houses or through fence gates, but some partnering agencies brought narrow trucks to maneuver tight spaces.

Finally, homes that are flooded will not have their power returned until the waters recede and it is safe to do so, she said.

Looking for trouble: Lacy said the crews began circuit sweeps Tuesday: Crews are riding circuits from beginning to end, looking for any tree limbs on wires that are currently energized, damage to customers’ electrical equipment, and low-hanging wires.

She asked that customers keep gates and fences unlocked and dogs inside for the safety of the linemen.

A tree took down power lines on Augusta Street in northwest Lakeland.

” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/sign-and-bucket-truck.jpg?fit=225%2C300&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/sign-and-bucket-truck.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” data-id=”503365″ src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/sign-and-bucket-truck.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1″ alt=”” class=”wp-image-503365″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/sign-and-bucket-truck.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/sign-and-bucket-truck.jpg?resize=225%2C300&ssl=1 225w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/sign-and-bucket-truck.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&ssl=1 1152w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/sign-and-bucket-truck.jpg?resize=900%2C1200&ssl=1 900w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/sign-and-bucket-truck.jpg?resize=600%2C800&ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/sign-and-bucket-truck.jpg?resize=450%2C600&ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/sign-and-bucket-truck.jpg?resize=300%2C400&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/sign-and-bucket-truck.jpg?resize=150%2C200&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/sign-and-bucket-truck.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/sign-and-bucket-truck.jpg?resize=400%2C533&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/sign-and-bucket-truck.jpg?resize=706%2C941&ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/sign-and-bucket-truck.jpg?w=1500&ssl=1 1500w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/sign-and-bucket-truck-768×1024.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px”>A tree took down power lines on Augusta Street in northwest Lakeland. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow

A truck from Wisconsin’s Cedarburg Light & Water Utility is adorned by a stuffed baby reindeer.

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Caution sign.

” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/stay-away-sign.jpg?fit=300%2C225&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/stay-away-sign.jpg?fit=780%2C585&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” data-id=”503366″ src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/stay-away-sign.jpg?resize=780%2C585&ssl=1″ alt=”” class=”wp-image-503366″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/stay-away-sign.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/stay-away-sign.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/stay-away-sign.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/stay-away-sign.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/stay-away-sign.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/stay-away-sign.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/stay-away-sign.jpg?resize=600%2C450&ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/stay-away-sign.jpg?resize=400%2C300&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/stay-away-sign.jpg?resize=200%2C150&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/stay-away-sign.jpg?resize=1568%2C1176&ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/stay-away-sign.jpg?resize=706%2C530&ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/stay-away-sign.jpg?w=2000&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/www.lkldnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/stay-away-sign-1024×768.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px”>Caution sign. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNowPhotos by Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow

Helping people: The Wisconsin workers climbed back into their bucket trucks to finish the Augusta Street job.

“People need help,” the team’s Brad Kloss said. “I think this is most of the reason why everybody got into the job – put the power back on.”

Factoids

  • Customers can text OUT to 21592 to report outages.
  • Customers should call (863)834-9535 to report electric emergencies and downed lines.
  • Customer Service Call Center is open and currently taking only storm-related calls.
  • Disconnects for non-payment are currently suspended for all customers.
  • Customers can monitor their outage by visiting Lakeland Electric’s outage map.
  • Lakeland Electric’s lobby remains closed until further notice.

The post Lakelanders Show Gratitude as Effort to Restore Power Winds Down appeared first on LkldNow.