Crews from Missouri Public Utility Alliance heading to Florida to perform recovery work

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia-based Missouri Public Utility Alliance has 57 lineworkers from 13 crews heading to the Orlando area to get ready for recovery work as Hurricane Ian approaches Florida.

Crews are from several regions including Hannibal, Higginsville, Macon and Odessa.

The workers have more than 50 utility vehicles, including bucket trucks, digger/derrick trucks and other linework vehicles, MPUA said in a news release.

Coordinators for the Florida Municipal Electric Association made the call to the Missouri Public Utility Alliance for mutual aid assistance Friday and crews left for Florida early Tuesday morning, MPUA says.

Ian hit Cuba early Tuesday as a Category 3 with 125 mph sustained winds and forecasters say it will make landfall in Florida late Wednesday or early Thursday, likely near Tampa Bay. Forecasts had the hurricane intensifying into a Category 4 hurricane.

Check back for updates to this developing story.