After Hurricane Sandy ravaged the Eastern Seaboard, it is estimated that six million people have been left without power. In response to this, 53,000 utility workers from all over the United States, as well as Canada, are working tirelessly to restore power to the east coast.

Edison Electric Institute (EEI) senior vice president Brian Wolff sees the response to the disaster as patriotic, stating that there’s “nothing more American than when we come together as a country to help out one another.” 

He went on to describe how overwhelmed he is by the nation banding together; “When I look at the storm response, I’m overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for our linemen and utility workers to effectively do their jobs, and how those without power are sharing their resources.”

Image via Shutterstock

Utility workers are facing more than a little adversity as they attempt to restore power: before they’re able to install and replace equipment, they must first clear the fallen trees, sand, debris and water in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. In many areas, transformers, control panels, poles and wires must either be repaired, or in many cases, replaced, before it’s possible to restore electricity.

The storm’s wreckage is so severe, the process of restoring electricity so arduous, that the president of EEI, Tom Kuhn, called it the “biggest single task our industry has undertaken.”

Although there are many frustrated people living without power, EEI reminds Americans that the work the utility repairmen have undertaken is dangerous, technical and time-consuming. It’s difficult to remain patient, but those without power can rest assured that both electric companies and the government have banded together to expedite the process, and President Obama has vowed to eliminate any potential bureaucratic roadblocks that may have impeded the process.