Six employees from Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative (MEC) recently returned from Kentucky after helping Salt River Electric Cooperative restore power to some of the thousands of people suffering from power outages due to a major ice and snow storm.  MEC line workers were away from their families for 10 days working in temperatures down to 5 degrees and in dangerous conditions for 16 hours a day.  From the Emporia District were Adam Brewer (meter reader/groundman), Andy Clary (lineman/serviceman), Andy Epperson (meter reader/groundman) and Craig Phelps (lineman/serviceman); from the Chase City District were Chris Brame (lineman/serviceman) and Mike Mills (apprentice lineman). Emporia District employees who helped were: Adam Brewer , Andy Clary, Andy Epperson and Craig Phelps Chase City District employees who helped were:  Chris Brame and Mike Mills   The January 26 storm affected virtually every one of the state’s 120 counties.  At the peak of the storm over 769,000 consumers were without power.  Chris, who has assisted in many major outages in the past, says the damage in Kentucky looked similar to the major destruction he saw in Mississippi in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina.  "Some of the places we saw in Kentucky looked like a logging crew had been in there," he adds. Crews from nine other Virginia electric cooperatives also assisted Kentucky cooperatives.  The Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives (VMDAEC) provided coordination and dispatching of the line crews at the request of the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives.  They were part of over 700 electric co-op employees including crews from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri,  North and South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee who fanned out across Kentucky to replace transformers, broken poles and cross arms, and rebuild downed power lines.  Mike says, "The gratitude and appreciation the people showed when their power came back on made the 16-hour workdays worthwhile."  Craig Phelps adds, "It was a long drive to and from Kentucky, but it was a great feeling to restore their lights.  I think it’s nice that we can reach out and help another Co-op in a time of need.  One day we might need their help!" MEC president and CEO John Lee comments, "We are pleased to be able to support one of our sister cooperatives in Kentucky by sending our very capable linemen to help them rebuild their distribution system and restore power to their members.  Cooperatives have a legacy of helping each other in times of great need.  Rest assured, if we are ever on the other side of this arrangement, the Kentucky cooperatives will be here to help us." John continues, "I am told our linemen did an excellent job in Kentucky and represented our cooperative extremely well. I would like to commend them for making the long trip and recognize their dedication and the sacrifices made by them and their families in helping others who were in the dark and without heat in frigid temperatures."