A team of about 85 Mississippi Power employees headed to Louisiana Friday to assist in the Hurricane Laura restoration effort.

The employees include linemen, engineers and support personnel, with several team members from Meridian, spokesman Jeff Shepard said.

“Mutual assistance is a really important part of what we do throughout the electric utility industry,” said Fran Forehand, the vice president of customer service and operations. “Whenever large storms hit any of our partner utilities, we all collapse to that one area and pitch in wherever we can.”

The team will travel to Jennings, Louisiana, located 30 miles east of Lake Charles, according to a news release. Local news reports indicate widespread power outages, downed trees and other structural damage.

According to www.poweroutage.us, more than 500,000 Louisiana residents were without electric service Friday morning.

Already this year, Mississippi Power crews have travelled to Georgia, Philadelphia and New York to assist utilities in restoration efforts following natural disasters, the company said. 

No crews from the East Mississippi Electric Power Association had been activated as of Friday, said Julie Boles, the director of marketing and communication for the EMEPA.

Boles said crews could be sent to assist in power restoration if requested.

‘We are always willing to help our neighbors as needed,” she said.

Laura is listed as one of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit the United States, The Associated Press reported.