Rochester Public Utilities Crews Headed to Florida to Help

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Rochester Public Utilities and over a dozen other municipal utilities throughout Minnesota are sending personnel and resources to Florida in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Milton.

A news release says 35 trucks and crews departed today from the RPU Service Center in northeast Rochester for Mount Vernon, Illinois. Following that, they will head to Kissimmee, Florida and are scheduled to arrive Wednesday morning. The hurricane response is being organized by the Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association.

RPU General Manager Tim McCollough highlights, “In times of crisis, mutual aid is not just a lifeline; it is a testament to the strength of our industry. We stand together, and mutual aid exemplifies our commitment to safety and reliability, allowing us to restore power and serve our customers even in the most challenging circumstances. RPU is proud to be part of MMUA and work alongside the 14 other utility partners.”

The National Weather Service is predicting Hurricane Milton will come ashore on the central Gulf Coast of Florida Friday evening as a Category five storm. Forecasters are saying that could produce a devastating flood surge of more than 10 feet in the Tampa and Fort Myers areas.

The staging area for the RPU crews and the others from Minnesota is just south of Orlando, where the hurricane is forecast to pass through Wednesday night.

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