10/07/2024
A little over six years years ago Elizabeth Clark Hughes took a leap of faith and took a new job and changed careers! She joined a group of great people that are now Family, OkefenokeREMC! Little did we know the impacts that would be felt. Fast forward to today, 11 days after hurricane Helene hit and we are watching and praying over the impact that Hurricane Milton is going to have locally and on Florida. I want to Praise the the Engineering team and Linemen from OREMC, Right of Way GUYS from TeraVolt (OREMC), and Linemen from Pike (OREMC); they worked tirelessly to get their infrastructure restored and didn’t stop there. They came over into Pierce County to assist Satilla REMC and get their neighbors and family’s power restored working many more sleepless hours. This has impacted many people that I know and Love in my community that I grew up in and Liz and I have called home together for almost 20 years.
Secondly there are many people behind the Scenes that put on different hats during “STORM”. I know firsthand my little accountant turns into food prep, food delivery, Professional Gofer, ( go for this and go for that) and anything else that is needed! The support staff #1 priority and job is to help where needed out of the public eye, so the team in the field can restore power. I called it a privilege to wait up on her to get in and get in bed so that I could turn the generator off and then wake up few hours later before daylight to turn it back on so she could get ready to begin another day. The real heroes are the ones clearing debris and those working the lines, but my hero is my wife Elizabeth, she answers to many names like the hats she wears: Lizzy, Ms. Bettabah, Shug, Mom, but she is my LIZ!
With that said, be compassionate for the utility workers no matter their job or Title; because they have chosen a job that calls them to work when we the general population are inconvenienced. Many of them are facing the same predicament that we are they just can’t slow down to take care of their own problems till the get us taken care of!
I’m off my soapbox now and THANK a UTILITY WORKER !