On October 4, 2024, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm and Deputy Secretary David M. Turk joined electric sector leaders to discuss the ongoing response and recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene, which has had a devastating impact on communities across the Southeast and Eastern Appalachia. Leadership from the Electricity Sector Coordinating Council and the Energy Government Coordinating Council has been meeting regularly since before the storm made landfall on September 25 to coordinate industry preparedness, response, and recovery efforts and to facilitate coordination with federal government partners.
During the call, Secretary Granholm thanked utility leaders for their continued commitment to the response and expressed gratitude for the hard work and perseverance of utility crews working around the clock to restore power in often dangerous and difficult terrain. The extent of the devastation caused by Helene requires a massive recovery effort that has required resources to be mobilized from across the country. At least 50,000 utility crews from 41 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada are assisting with the hurricane response. To date, crews have helped more than 4 million customers restore power from the peak of the storm.
Last week, President Biden and Vice President Harris repeatedly called on federal departments and agencies to do everything possible to aid communities impacted by Hurricane Helene, and the President reaffirmed the federal government's commitment to the region after visiting several affected states. DOE will provide ongoing support to federal, state, local responders and electric sector partners throughout the damage assessment and customer restoration process. In the areas most impacted by Hurricane Helene, DOE is committed to supporting these hardest hit areas as they transition to community reconstruction and long-term recovery.
The devastation caused by Hurricane Helene highlights the growing threat of severe weather events and the importance of energy resiliency. DOE will continue to serve as a partner and leverage available resources to support energy sector preparedness and response for all threats and hazards. This includes preparing for Hurricane Milton to strengthen in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Department's preparedness and response efforts are being coordinated by DOE's Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response (CESER), which leads the agency's response to disruptions within the energy sector and has been designated as the leader of Emergency Support Function #12 (ESF #12) under FEMA's National Response Framework. CESER is publishing daily situation reports from the DOE Hurricane Center with the latest updates on recovery efforts.