Northern Neck Electric Cooperative lineworker, Gena Boarman, recently returned from a mission in St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica, where she helped restore power after the devastation of Hurricane Beryl. Boarman, part of a team assembled by NRECA International, worked alongside the Jamaica Public Service Company to bring electricity back to communities in one of the country’s most rural areas.
A Northern Neck Electric Cooperative press release says despite challenging working conditions, the team of American lineworkers—including Boarman, the first U.S. lineworkers in history to provide aid in Jamaica—successfully restored power to hundreds of homes and families.
In early July, Hurricane Beryl brought nearly 12 inches of rain, floods, and sustained winds of 140 mph to Jamaica. This category 4 hurricane left severe damage to the area, knocking out power and leaving many communities in darkness. While the team and JPS worked tirelessly, the challenging rural conditions slowed the restoration efforts. It sometimes took nearly a full day to restore power to just a few homes.
“I became a lineman to serve my community, so when I heard about the communities in Jamaica needing help, I knew that I wanted to go,” says Boarman. “I am thankful that NNEC empowered me to help, and I am proud of the impact that we had.”
The area where Boarman and team worked is known as the “breadbasket of Jamaica,” providing much of the country’s food for local consumption and export. This mission was especially significant to NNEC, which serves many farmers and watermen in Virginia’s Northern Neck region. “As a cooperative that serves an agricultural community, we understand the importance and difficulty of restoring power in rural and remote areas,” says Brad Hicks, president and CEO of NNEC. “Our farmers and watermen depend on reliable electricity to sustain their operations, just as the farmers in Jamaica rely on it for their livelihoods. We are proud to have supported this effort.”
Photo courtesy Northern Neck Electric Cooperative
