Alabama Electric Cooperatives responded quickly to the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac, sending dozens of crews to affected areas along the Gulf Coast to help restore power to the area.

Pioneer Electric is sending a mix of employees and equipment from its Greenville and Selma offices. The team of five men left Friday morning to assist Washington-St. Tammany Electric Cooperative in Franklinton, La.

Washington-St. Tammany Electric Cooperative serves more than 50,000 meters in Washington, St. Tammany and Tangipahoa Parishes and the southern part of Marion County in Mississippi. The area, which was also devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, suffered high wind and flooding from Isaac and conditions are expected to get worse. Because of flooding, assisting crews will have a difficult time getting through to some areas in their service territory to restore electric service.

“Pioneer is part of a national network of more than 900 electric cooperatives and we work throughout the year to prepare for these types of events,” said Pioneer Executive Vice President and General Manager Terry Moseley. “We give help when other cooperatives are struck by a storm and we receive help in our time of need.”

Electric cooperatives across Mississippi and Louisiana called on crews from across the country to assist in restoring electric service even as Hurricane Isaac hovered just offshore. The Alabama Rural Electric Association (AREA) coordinated assistance from the 20 electric cooperative in Alabama. Mutual aid agreements exist among the nation’s rural electric cooperatives serve to ensure that organizations such as Pioneer will have ready access to qualified line personnel.

Pioneer Electric Cooperative, Inc. services more than 13,000 members across 4 counties: Butler, Lowndes, Dallas and Wilcox and the service area extends into five other counties which include parts of Autauga, Crenshaw, Covington, Conecuh and Monroe counties.