ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Craig Guthrie is a lineman supervisor for Duke Energy based in Clearwater, but over the past 12 days he has been on the ground on Pine Island, Florida’s biggest barrier island, where Hurricane Ian caused catastrophic damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure.

From tight sleeping quarters in trailers to late mess hall style meals, it’s not like life at home for the hundreds of lineman working to restore power.

The crews are working from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

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“You think eight hours of rest, but that's not eight hours of rest,” Guthrie said. “You get six hours of sleep at best, that's all you can hope for."

Guthrie says his crew started power restorations locally in the Tampa Bay area on day one after Hurricane Ian.

As soon as the temporary bridge to Pine Island was built, they headed south in a convoy to start immediate work on the Pine Island grid.

“Unfortunately this was not good news when we got to the island. It was total devastation," Guthrie said. “Some storms we go on, there is a lot of downtime with logistics and getting going. As soon as we rolled onto the island it was boots on the ground and we were going to work. I think there was something like 140 poles down, and these were main line poles down on the road."

 

Away from home, Guthrie says lineman are banding together to keep spirits up to keep the work moving forward.

But every lineman is away from family and friends, and hard pressed to even describe the environment they are working in.

“It's very tough. My family is at home, my wife and kids, and I miss them to death,” Guthrie said. It’s tough to be away but you know we are here for these people that lost everything, and to be here for that is very humbling."

If there is any good news on Pine Island, it’s that a lot of help is now on the ground, and there is hope for the future.

Guthrie says locals that lost everything are supporting their efforts, handing them bottles of water as they drive by.

One family even grilled hotdogs for crews in the driveway, next to their home that was destroyed by Hurricane Ian.