Hurricane Isaias: Kissimmee utility crews head to Panhandle for power restoration

Kissimmee Utility Authority crews are heading to the Florida Panhandle to help restore electricity following Hurricane Isaias.The 13-member team left Kissimmee shortly after 1 p.m. Saturday for DeFuniak Springs. The group includes 12 linemen and a mechanic traveling with a convoy of utility vehicles.Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin Friday night as a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.KUA said its workers will assist Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative Inc. with restoring power across its service area.An estimated 68,900 CHELCO customers, representing approximately 90% of the cooperative’s system, lost electricity following the storm, according to KUA.The deployment is part of KUA’s mutual-aid agreement with utilities across the country. Such agreements allow utilities to share workers, vehicles and equipment following hurricanes and other disasters.The KUA employees deployed to the Panhandle are Dustin Kelly, Mike Taylor, Josias Cabrera, Cory Breen, Kyle