POWERGRAMS

their foundations. It was the largest challenge that Alabama Power's restoration crews had ever faced. With teamwork and the usual dedication of employees, in five days power was restored for all customers who could receive service. For homes and structures that were destroyed, it would be months before insurance claims could be processed and the buildings and homes newly constructed. Alabama Power's highly skilled and experienced storm restoration people continued their tradition of assisting communities beyond Alabama in recovering from storm damage. The company had motivated crews helping in New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy came ashore on Oct. 29, 2012. Super Storm Sandy caused some $71.4 billion in damages, second only to Hurricane Katrina in American history. Central Alabama and Birmingham were also brought to a halt by a sudden winter ice and snow storm on Jan. 28, 2014. The day began with a weather forecast of some possible snowfall. But so much snow fell so quickly, combined with so much ice, that many roads proved impassable. Automobiles and trucks lost traction and slid into ditches and crashed into guard rails, sometimes spinning backward in the process. Employees and some spouses and children sheltered at the General Services Complex, while 1,050 people were stranded at Corporate Headquarters. Food Services personnel were stranded there, too, but immediately began making plans to feed people supper and breakfast. An Alabama Power employee walked two blocks to the Alabama School of Fine Arts, where students and faculty were also stranded, and invited them to Alabama Power for supper. Emergency supplies were found and blankets, pillows, and sofa and chair cushions were turned into makeshift beds. Alabama Power continued to work with the state's wildlife services, especially in conserving and maintaining the habitats of the endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers at Lake Mitchell and providing nesting places on its lakes for eagles and other birds. The Gadsden Steam Plant, which was purchased by James Mitchell during construction with ownership held by his holding company, Alabama Traction, Power and Light Company Ltd., was completed by Mitchell in 1913. Gadsden observed its centennial in 2013. As part of the celebration, the company produced a Powergrams-size "newspaper" called The Gadsden Centennial. It was specifically designed as an educational piece for Gadsden and Etowah County students and highlighted the historic landmarks regarding the production of electricity in Etowah County. In looking back over those early years of the company's second century, McCrary, who retired in 2014, noted that Alabama Power was deeply affected by the 2008 Great Recession and the global financial crises. In fall 2008, the bankruptcy of New York-based Lehman Brothers, which ironically was born in 1850 in Montgomery and grew to be one of the largest global financial services companies, helped send the nation's economy into a recession. The resulting failure of banks and general economic retrenchment made it difficult for Alabama Power's industrial and commercial customers. The increasing stress and then the disappearance of Alabama's textile manufacturing, which was one of Alabama Power's first industrial customers a century before, placed additional burdens on the company. But the greatest challenge in Alabama Power's first decade of its second century came with the increasingly expensive and extensive environmental compliance demands. McCrary noted "the crushing expenses of environmental requirements that were met head-on with the ingenuity of Alabama Power Company employees." He 5 2014 winter storm left employees stranded statewide. Chapter 12

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