Look inside Mississippi Power’s storm center dedicated to its employees

Our cameras followed more than 30 government and emergency management officials from across the region today as they toured Mississippi Power’s storm center ahead of the start of hurricane season.

Imagine this: disaster has struck. Homes are flooded. power is out, and the essential workers have nowhere to meet. Well, that’s exactly what happened to Mississippi Power in 2005, which is why they created this -the Mississippi Power Operation Center.

“Katrina was a devastation across the coast and up through the state and it really wreaked havoc across our facilities just like it did the homes,” said Stephen Schruff, Mississippi Power storm director. “We had to work in parking lots with paper maps. We made it through that but what we learned is it would really help to build a hardened facility inland, away from the flood waters, where we could protect our folks who are essentially the entire center for our restoration operations. That’s what we have here today.”

In 2008, Mississippi Power built this emergency building for its workers to utilize, keeping them safe while they serve the community. 

“What we do here is house our storm center. We have the big view. We get the resources that our boots on the ground, folks spread throughout our territory, need so that they can restore power. Those are the folks that are out patrolling the lines, walking through the woods, finding the trouble, and actually repairing the problems that we face,” Schruff said.

Leaders from as far as Meridian were on site to see firsthand how Mississippi power can serve their communities in an emergency. 

“It is critical for entities like this to invite local leadership and state leadership to tour the facilities, but even more importantly, learn how they can coordinate with the utility companies in time of emergency so we can all help respond to tragedy in a safer way,” said De’Keither Stamps, a member of the Mississippi Public Service Commission.

Here’s to hoping they don’t get any use out of it this hurricane season.