‘Insane’ video shows linemen submerged in Florida floodwaters after Hurricane Milton

Alligators and snakes are hampering efforts to restore power in Florida after Hurricane Milton, but it’s the sight of linemen submerged in floodwater that’s scaring people on social media.

Video of one crew working in such conditions near Brooksville has been viewed more than 300,000 times since being posted Oct. 15 by Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative, Inc.

It shows one lineman vanishing under the surface for what feels like an eternity as he searches for the other end of a guy wire. He eventually resurfaces with the wire in hand and nonchalantly hands it to another lineman standing nearby in shoulder-deep water.

“Crews worked around the clock in 16-hour shifts,” Withlacoochee River Electric spokesman Gary Steele told McClatchy News.

“The crews did have several encounters with snakes and alligators along the way. ... We are proud to say that there were very few injuries reported other than minor heat-related issues.”

Linemen featured in the video are from Louisiana’s DEMCO electric cooperative, which sent crews to help after Milton left more than 3.3 million Floridians without power after making landfall in Siesta Key as a Category 3 hurricane on Oct. 9.

The 32-second video had more than 5,600 reactions and comments on Facebook as of Oct. 17. Many called the crew brave for facing not just wildlife, but also leeches, water bugs, fire ants and septic tank bacteria.

“America seems a bit lost right now but witnessing that made my heart full. We will be ok,” Diane Kirby wrote on the electric company’s Facebook page.

“That’s pretty scary stuff they are doing. You gentlemen are true heroes!” Cyndi DeSimone said.

“Working in these conditions is insane,” Tanya Kelly posted.

“All I can think about when I see pictures like this is ‘electricity and water don’t mix!’ Scares me to death!” Susan Garrett said.

Brooksville is about a 50-mile drive north from Tampa.

Withlacoochee River Electric, based in Dade City, has more than 260,400 customers across five counties. It has 250 linemen on staff and “brought in nearly 1,500 other linemen and tree trimming personnel to assist,” the company said.

This story was originally published October 17, 2024 at 8:00 AM with the headline "‘Insane’ video shows linemen submerged in Florida floodwaters after Hurricane Milton."