HOOKS, GUMBO AND GRIT: ANSWERING THE CALL FOR MUTUAL AID The same storm that blanketed Oklahoma with 10 inches of snow in January swept into northern Mississippi, leaving a trail of ice and widespread devestation. At the height of the storm, nearly 90% of the Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association’s system was without power. More than 26,000 meters sat in the dark at the peak of the outages. States away, Central Rural Electric Cooperative crews were loading trucks ready to help. “It looked like the ice had wadded up the line and thrown it down,” said Jerry Cundiff, Central lineman. “All we saw while coming in was ice, snow, broken crossarms and downed lines.” The drive to Batesville, Mississippi, took the crew 16 hours as they made their way through icy conditions. Once there, their first night was spent at an armory where they stayed on cots alongside 60 other linemen before rising
bright and early to start restoration efforts. The storm did not simply knock lines down; it destroyed infrastructure. Poles were snapped, lines twisted and tangled, crossarms shattered, and power equipment was destroyed. In many locations, there was nothing left for crews to fix. Much had to be rebuilt and reconstructed. Much of the restoration was done the old-fashioned way, “off hooks,” climbing poles and working by hand. Getting to the job sites, however, was often as difficult as the repairs themselves. “It wasn’t really mud; we called it gumbo,” Cundiff said. “It was different mud than what we have here. Our mud is sandier, not as sticky. This mud stuck. While we were digging a hole, water was coming back into it; all the gumbo, whatever it touched, was hard to get off. It stuck to the shovels, to our boots and to the truck. It was marsh conditions.” Despite the destruction, what stood out to Central’s linemen was the generosity of the community. “The farmers were very generous, patient and incredibly helpful,”
Cundiff said. “On the third day, we had a farmer follow us with a tractor and helped us get in and out of some locations so we could restore power.” Cundiff stated that the farmers were a big part of helping Central’s linemen work. If it wasn’t for the locals’ help, it would’ve taken longer to restore power. Members of the Mississippi cooperative frequently stopped to offer help, purchase meals, or simply say thank you, despite being without power for weeks. n SEE “HOOKS, GUMBO AND GRIT” PAGE 4