South Dakota linemen returned Thursday from the Southeastern U.S. after helping restore power for thousands of people affected by Hurricane Helene.
The 18 linemen from five rural electric cooperatives—East River Electric Power Cooperative, Sioux Valley Energy, Bon Homme Yankton Electric Association, Oahe Electric Cooperative, and West River Electric Association—left Oct. 2 to join line crews from around the country working to repair the devastated power grid.
During their restoration efforts, South Dakota’s linemen assisted Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative in Pickens, South Carolina, where crews faced more than 64,000 meter outages and over 800 broken poles after the storm. The linemen were then called to Wrens, Georgia, where Jefferson Energy Cooperative worked to build back after a total system outage.
“Tropical storm Helene tested our cooperative unlike any other natural disaster in our 84-year history, and we needed every ounce of help we could bring in to restore power to the 90% of our membership that lost power in this storm,” Blue Ridge Electric CEO Jim Lovinggood said.
South Dakota’s linemen stayed at basecamps with dozens of other utility workers from all across the country. The workers camped in several large, army-sized tents, but with the linemen’s busy schedules, nobody spent much time there anyway.
“We’d get up at about 5:30, head to the chow hall for breakfast at 6 o’clock, get to our trucks and do our service checks, load up material, and then head out to the job,” recalled West River Electric lineman Zach Hansen. “Then about 7 o’clock or 7:30 p.m., we’d head back to the yard for supper from 8 o’clock to 10 o’clock. Then we’d hit the sack for the next day.”
Hansen said that each time the crew repaired damaged infrastructure, they’d first need to start the labor-intensive process of clearing through debris and trees toppled by Helene’s heavy wind gusts.
“When we have blizzards and ice storms in South Dakota, it’s hard work—and you’re trying to stay warm,” Hansen explained. “But out here, there’s a lot more chainsaw work and fixing wire breaks. It’s not just straight miles of lines lying down like we’re used to at home.”
By Oct. 9, fewer than 1,000 meters in Blue Ridge Electric territory remained offline and the South Dakota crews were dismissed to begin the 1,200-plus mile journey home.
But as the South Dakota convoy—which included bucket trucks, skid steers and ATVs—moved homeward to reunite with their families, another call came in.
The call was from Jefferson Electric in Wrens, Georgia, where still more than 10,000 homes and businesses remained without power nearly two weeks after the storm. Just like before, South Dakota’s rural electric cooperatives answered the call.
“When our line superintendent called me that morning and asked me how we felt about going to Georgia, I said, ‘well, we’re right here, so we might as well go in and help,’” Bon Homme Yankton lineman Gunnar Dally said. “If they need help, we’re more than willing to come.”
The stop in Wrens delayed the linemen’s return home by about a week, but the appreciation from the communities helped keep spirits high.
“When we were on breaks, there were people stopping to thank us for helping,” Dally said. “A lot of them were very surprised when we said we were from South Dakota.”
Bon Homme Yankton Electric Manager Stephanie Horst thanked Dally and the 17 others who volunteered to travel, saying their selfless actions reflect their deep strength and dedication to community.
“We’re deeply thankful for their service and we reflect on the profound impact they’ve made—not just in restoring power, but in bringing hope and relief to communities in need,” Horst said. “Their efforts truly embody the heart and soul of our cooperative family.”
Sioux Valley Energy Vice President of Engineering and Operations Ted Smith thanked his eight linemen for volunteering for a challenging restoration mission while also commending the rest of his co-op crew.
“We also need to recognize the line workers that stayed behind taking on extra duties for their teammates,” he said.
Hansen recognized another subset of heroes: the families.
“The unsung heroes of storm jobs are the people we leave behind,” he said. “My wife is at home with six kids taking care of the ranch while I’m gone. If we didn’t have those people, we couldn’t go out and do the things we needed to do. They are the real heroes.”
SDREA General Manager Steve Barnett thanked the linemen for volunteering to help with the storm restoration efforts and for embodying the values of South Dakota’s rural electric cooperatives.
“These 18 linemen gave up time at home with their families to help people in need they’ve never met in a place they’ve never been,” Barnett said. “Their selfless actions reflect what we stand for as a family of cooperatives, as South Dakotans, and as fellow Americans. We thank them for their work, their spirit and their dedication to keeping the lights on—at home, and in South Carolina and Georgia.”