More than two dozen We Energies employees are back in Wisconsin after restoring power to areas affected by Hurricane Milton.
Operations manager Nate Schkeryantz is among them.
"The first thing I did back was go hug my wife and kids," Schkeryantz told TMJ4 News.
Schkeryantz and 25 other We Energies employees spent a week in Florida after more than 2 million people lost power.
"The travel down. That was tough, the unknown, the traffic going into Florida, fuel, not knowing where to stay, that was probably the biggest challenge and being away," Schkeryantz explained.
We Energies worked under the direction of the Tampa utility.
Schkeryantz recorded videos documenting crews working 16-hour days replacing poles and restringing wire while navigating downed trees, tough weather conditions and uncertainty.
"You never know what you're going to run into. We had some flooding. Talked about different red ants, different insects, snakes, alligators," Schkeryantz shared.
Despite the long days, Schkeryantz said it was important to be there.
"They needed the help. Same with me, if I'm in that situation if I need help I'm hoping somebody would come respond," Schkeryantz added.
Being away from family for several days is hard, but Schkeryantz is proud to play a part in bringing relief to tens of thousands of customers in the Tampa area.
"It was very rewarding, especially when we're down there and seeing the customers' reaction. Everybody was happy to see us. They'd cheer for us as soon as the power would go back on," Schkeryantz stated.
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