INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Crews from AES Indiana and Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) are traveling to Florida to help with Hurricane Milton relief efforts.

On Thursday, 479 I&M employees and contractors joined Hurricane Milton restoration efforts to help Tampa Electric and Florida Power and Light restore their customers. According to a news release by I&M, “Lineworkers, fleet technicians, tree trimming experts, and safety support staff will work 16-hour days repairing and replacing power poles, power lines, and if needed, rebuilding portion of the electrical system.”

There is no timetable for the I&M crews’ return.

This is I&M’s second hurricane response in recent weeks. More than 450 I&M employees and contractors assisted their American Electric Power sister companies, Appalachian Power and Kentucky Power, to restore power to customers after remnants of Hurricane Helene caused widespread power outages. Those crews returned home Monday after 10 days.

Five crews from AES Indiana are traveling to Florida Friday to assist with Hurricane Milton relief efforts. As of Friday morning, Milton has cut off power to millions of people in Florida.

19 AES Indiana employees, including five line crews, left Monday afternoon, and were stationed in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, awaiting activation from Tampa Electric. The crews left Friday morning and are expected to arrive on Friday evening. According to a news release by AES Indiana, the team consists of “five line crews of three linemen each, two team leaders, one mechanic, and one supply truck driver. They are bringing five bucket trucks, five digger trucks, and one supply truck to Florida.”

The AES Indiana crews will be stationed out of Raymond James Stadium, and will stay there until they are released. Crews will work 16-hour shifts, with eight hours off. They will stay inside the stadium on cots until relief work is completed and power is restored to residents in the area.

“The dedication to helping each other and our customers is a mainstay of our industry. Restoring power is often the first critical step in rebuilding and restoring normalcy in devastated communities. I’m always impressed with our employee’s willingness to respond – often at a moment’s notice – to help those at home and far away. Thank you and your families for your dedication to helping those who need it most.”

Steve Baker, I&M president and chief operating officer