As Hurricane Florence approaches ever closer to coastal Carolina and Georgia, Troy linemen are preparing to hit the road to help in the aftermath.

“We’ve done it the past couple of years,” said Utilities Manager Brian Chandler. “We’ve sent crews to Florida and South Carolina. I grew up in the utilities industry and it’s just something I was accustomed to doing.  You send help because one day it might be you that needs it.”

Troy linemen did the same thing around this time last year after Irma struck the Florida panhandle.

As meteorologists continue to track the massive hurricane, Chandler said his crew still isn’t sure yet where the bulk of the damage will be.

“We’re sitting on standby waiting to see when and where they might need to go,” Chandler said. “The forecast for the storm has changed – they might be needed in Georgia.”

Chandler said the host utility typically directs the visiting crews to where the greatest need is and provides meals for the workers while in town. The costs are later reimbursed by the host utility department, Chandler said.

“Part of this process is that the city is reimbursed for city’s time,” Chandler said. “Any City of Troy materials used, we are reimbursed for so it is not a burden on City of Troy residents.”

Hurricane Florence could inflict the hardest hurricane punch North Carolina has seen in more than 60 years, with rain and wind of more than 130 mph.

Florence is expected to stall near the Carolinas later today, bringing hours of torrential rains and dangerous winds to the area, especially along the coastline.