Fortis Inc. is sending 58 of its Canadian employees, including 7 from Kelowna, to Turks and Caicos to help with Hurricane Irma recovery.
The storm hit the country early Friday with waves as high as 6 metres.
Regional Manager Shawn Conway says crews will be clearing roads to make it safe for emergency vehicles and restore power to critical infrastructure.
“They’ll be going down into unknown land meaning I’m not sure what to expect,” he says “there’s going to be poles and wires on the ground and they won’t have any access to any kind of equipment like bucket trucks so they’ll be using their hand tools and climbing gear.”
He says Fortis is not dispatching employees from the U.S. because crews may be needed there, once Irma hits.
The employees from Kelowna will be heading to Toronto today and then to Turks and Caicos on Sunday.
Conway says the deployment is slated for 3 weeks.