POWERGRAMS

9 PHOTO BY DAN ANDERSON who had driven home for his lunch break, received a call that his dad was trapped in his house. When he arrived, Mitchell saw that a tree, which was about 20 inches in diameter and 50 feet tall, had fallen onto the roof, and its limbs were blocking the front and side doors of the house. The tree had also trapped his dad's dog in the laundry room. "My dad was in a panic because he couldn't get outside to see what other damage had been done," said Mitchell, local operations lineman at the Selma Crew Headquarters. "I was able to use the chainsaw and pole saw on my Alabama Power truck to cut the limbs so my dad and his dog could get out of the house." When he knew his dad was safe, Mitchell went to work to help with overall restoration. He helped evaluate and isolate trouble cases on feeders serving downtown Selma, making it possible to get power to large numbers of customers more quickly. Mitchell said his dad's house, which was in the direct path of the tornado, is a total loss. When the tree fell on the house, it caused the walls to shift and damaged the foundation beyond repair. "I've worked at Alabama Power for more than 32 years and helped restore power after a lot of hurricanes and tornadoes, but it has never affected me personally until now," said Mitchell. "This literally hit home. When a family member needs help, you want to do what you can. But we have to do our job. It meant the world to me that I had cousins and friends who were looking after him when I couldn't be there." Selma Engineering Supervisor Kyle Clary said the commitment of these three men is typical of the dedication demonstrated by employees across Alabama Power. "It gives me a great sense of pride and honor to work alongside people like Reid Buster, Kelsey Tripp, Scott Mitchell and so many others with similar stories," Clary said. "They experienced significant damages to their houses and property from the tornado but still had a strong passion and commitment to help serve their community by getting the lights back on, which provides a sense of hope to those whose lives were affected by the tornado." Alabama Power employees are known for going the extra mile, whether that means working long hours following severe storms or responding to a trouble call at 2 a.m. In recognition of that hard work and dedication, the company celebrates National Lineman Appreciation Day on April 18. This annual holiday, established by Congress in 2013, honors the contributions of men and women across the country who work to ensure reliable service, maintain the energy infrastructure and protect public safety. These intrepid line workers are on call around the clock, and often work in dangerous conditions – sometimes away from home and families for days or weeks. "I'm very proud of the dedication of our team," said Scott Moore, Alabama Power senior vice president of Power Delivery. "They are steadfast in their commitment to putting our customers first and work tirelessly to restore power to affected communities as quickly and safely as possible." The EF2 twister traveled from far west Selma, through the downtown business district and then through the east part of town destroying hundreds of homes.

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