I&M sending crews to Florida ahead of Hurricane Ian’s landfall

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) officials say they are sending over 300 employees to Florida to provide mutual assistance as Hurricane Ian is expected to make landfall there this week.

I&M says over 350 I&M line workers, damage assessors, forestry experts, support staff, and business partners are expected to arrive in Florida before the storm crashes ashore. They say crews will work 16-hour days to restore electricity to those who may lose power in the wake of the storm.

The Associated Press reports that Hurricane Ian made landfall at 4:30 a.m. EDT Tuesday in Cuba’s Pinar del Rio province, where 50,000 people were evacuated and emergency personnel were rushed in to help protect crops in Cuba’s main tobacco-growing region.

As the storm is now headed to Florida’s west coast, Gov. Ron DeSantis cautioned that damage is expected across a wide area regardless of where Ian makes landfall and urged residents to be prepared for power outages.

Back in July, I&M sent over 80 workers in the area to Kentucky to help restore power after widespread flooding there resulted in at least eight deaths.