MidAmerican crews supporting storm restoration efforts in Cincinnati area

Duke Energy customers hit hard Friday by severe storm that originated as Hurricane Helene

DES MOINES, Iowa - (September 28, 2024) -More than 70 MidAmerican Energy line and support crews are heading to Cincinnati, Ohio, after Duke Energy Friday night requested help to restore customers who lost power after winds and rain from the remnants of Hurricane Helene pummeled the region.

The storm initially caused outages in seventeen counties due to the high winds ranging between 50-70 miles per hour, according to Duke. At its peak, the storm interrupted power to more than 140,000 customers.

Sixty MidAmerican linemen, plus support, supervisory and safety crews, answered the call for help. The group, comprised of employees from across MidAmerican's service area, staged trucks and equipment Saturday morning at two locations, including the Des Moines and Quad Cities areas. The crews and their equipment are expected to arrive in the Cincinnati area Saturday night.

"We're proud that our crews were willing to take time away from their families to aid customers in another state who lost a vital service," Nick Nation, MidAmerican senior vice president of delivery, said. "We know from experience that when you're hit by a major natural disaster, it's really important to get extra resources rapidly from other utilities. I'm confident our team will do its level best to restore customers as quickly and as safely as they can."

MidAmerican crews will receive their storm restoration assignments once they arrive in the Cincinnati area. It's not yet known when they'll return.

About MidAmerican Energy
MidAmerican Energy, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, serves 820,000 electric customers in Iowa, Illinois and South Dakota, and 797,000 natural gas customers in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota. Information about MidAmerican Energy is available at midamericanenergy.com and company social media channels.