OUC in the news   Press/media contacts   Publication library   Knowledge Center   More about OUC		OUC News Release For Immediate Release  return to archive September 20, 2004 Sheridan Becht Grant J. Heston Helping Hands: Hurricane Ivan Web Log   See the web log now   See where Opp, Alabama is on the map ORLANDO (Sept. 20, 2004) – Being a good neighbor means lending a helping hand when times are tough. So when Hurricane Ivan ravaged Florida's Panhandle, Alabama and other Southeast states, OUC let it be known that we were ready to aid recovery efforts. And on Friday, Sept. 17, we responded to such a call. OUC Hurricane Ivan restoration team: Victor Mendoza, Raymond O’Neal, Leo Taylor, Andrew Peaden and Orlando Gomez. OUC has dispatched a five-man, three-truck crew to the town of Opp, Alabama to help their utility crews restore power to more than 2,000 of their customers (half of their service area) still in the dark after Ivan. In a first for OUC, this Web log lets you experience the OUC restoration crew's work every step of the way. The team has filed reports from Opp already, and will continue to do so several times a day until they leave later this week. The log details the damage from Ivan brought to Opp, how it compares to that done in Central Florida by Charley and Frances, as well as difficulties of working in the aftermath of a hurricane. This restoration effort comes on the heels of an 11-man, eight-truck convoy OUC sent to Ft. Pierce to help with their storm issues. When OUC needed help in the days after Hurricanes Charley and Frances, more than 1,000 visiting lineman, tree trimmers and trouble technicians responded to our call. That's why we're happy to return the favor. After all, that's what good neighbors do. OUC—The Reliable One (Orlando Utilities Commission) serves more than 190,000 customers in Orlando, St. Cloud and parts of unincorporated Orange and Osceola counties. OUC is the second-largest public power company in Florida.