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Arizona Public Service sending crews to help restore power for thousands in California

Posted at 10:28 PM, Feb 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-20 00:42:55-05

Arizona Public Service crews are heading to California to help restore power for residents affected by the recent storms.

APS officials said linemen, mechanics and engineers hit the road on Sunday to help restore power for thousands residents. They’re expected to stay there for a few days.

An APS spokesperson said more outages are expected through Tuesday.

“They’re expecting heavy rain and winds here going through Monday and Tuesday,” APS spokesman Tony Tewelis said. “So they’re anticipating having another quarter-million customers without power over the next few days.”

Despite all the chaos, this isn’t the first time APS has stepped up after a devastating natural disaster.

Five years ago, teams were sent to the northeast after Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast. They worked vigilantly to repair downed power lines in extremely dangerous conditions.

“It’s line work – it’s in an area that they’re not familiar with and they’re dealing with adverse weather conditions,” Tewelis  said. “APS answered the call and these guys volunteered to spend time away from their families to help restore power to our neighboring customers.”