Crews with East Mississippi Electric Power Association hit the road early Thursday as they headed to Florida to lend a hand. The crews will spend 10 days helping Central Florida Electric Cooperative repair storm damage and restore power following Hurricane Idalia.

Idalia made landfall Wednesday as a category 3 hurricane in a rural area near Keaton Beach, Florida. The Associated Press reported up to 500,000 people were without power at one point during the storm.

EMEPA’s crew of 18 employees includes linemen, right-of-way crew and engineers.

Mississippi Power is also sending manpower and resources to help aid the recovery effort. The utility provider said Wednesday evening a storm team of 250 employees had arrived in Georgia ahead of Idalia’s landfall.

Once the storm had passed, crews headed to Valdosta, Georgia, to help restore electric service. More than 30,000 residents were without power when the recovery effort began.