SUMMERDALE, Alabama — Twenty Baldwin EMC employees have departed for Georgia to help restore power following Winter Storm Helena, which is predicted to deliver between 1 and 4 inches of snow, as well as sleet and freezing rain, to northern Georgia and the metro-Atlanta area Friday afternoon through Saturday morning.

Baldwin EMC prepared for departure following a request Thursday night from Jackson EMC in Jefferson, Georgia. With the accumulation of snow and ice on the power lines, outages are expected and Baldwin EMC is sending crews ahead of the storm so they can be on location before the roads are impassable. They will be ready to start work immediately to restore power after the storm has passed through.

The Baldwin EMC crews, including three construction crews and a mechanic, departed Friday morning at 9:45 a.m. from the co-op’s Summerdale headquarters. The men packed food, water, warm clothing and other necessary items for approximately seven days.

Jackson Electric Membership Corporation, the second largest electric cooperative in the nation, is headquartered 50 miles northeast of Atlanta. The cooperative serves more than 212,500 meters and more than 199,500 individual accounts.

Baldwin EMC is part of a nationwide network of electric cooperatives that assist each other in times of natural disasters. Baldwin EMC has provided assistance numerous times to other cooperatives across the southeast following hurricanes, tornadoes and ice storms.

Baldwin EMC is a member-owned electric cooperative serving more than 71,000 accounts in Baldwin and Monroe Counties in southwest Alabama, including Alabama’s Gulf Coast. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.