In September 2024, Hurricane Helene slammed into the southeastern region of the United States, leaving a path of devastation in its wake. Over the course of five days, it caused tens of billions of dollars in damage in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, along with widespread power outages and over 60 fatalities.
The memory of those days is still fresh for Romeo Reyes, chief executive officer of The Satilla REMC in southern Georgia. After the hurricane hit, Satilla REMC’s entire service territory covering over 59,000 meters was out of power. Reyes spent eight hours driving a tractor through 30 miles of debris-laden roads to get to his office and put together a plan with his staff.
“It took us a couple days to realize how bad the destruction was. In the 40 years I’ve been with the co-op, it’s the worst thing I’ve experienced,” Reyes said.
The co-op held strong for its community, determined to turn the lights back on as quickly as possible. “Our initial restoration workforce was made up of approximately 700 people. Almost immediately, we recognized we needed more manpower and quickly grew that number to 2,000 people. And we couldn’t have done it without CoBank,” Reyes said.
The co-op normally operates on a $30 million line of credit for its operational needs. But in the wake of the hurricane, CoBank extended the line of credit to $200 million.
“When you’re in the middle of such a catastrophe, you’re laser-focused on what needs to get done,” said Jennifer Gainey, Satilla REMC’s administrative services director. “We were juggling the heartbreak alongside our community, but as their electric co-op, we were also trying to restore power as safely and quickly as possible — and CoBank’s immediate assistance was a crucial part of that,” Gainey said.
CoBank has proven to be a great partner, and we are grateful they have been there to help us fulfill our mission when it matters most.
The rural community faced months of restoration, but steady leadership within Satilla REMC, alongside its partnership with CoBank, allowed the co-op to restore power in just three weeks for most members instead of the estimated eight. Now, it’s ready to shift its focus back to high-priority initiatives, including the completion of its broadband project.
The broadband project took root in 2021 when Satilla REMC partnered with Conexon Connect, an industry leader in rural fiber broadband. The co-op also worked with CoBank to finance the project, securing a $145 million term loan for the build-out, which will be completed within the year — adding 6,000 miles of fi ber to southeast Georgia.
“Providing a reliable system and offering modern services to our members is important to our core mission. Whether it’s rebuilding our devastated distribution system or extending fiber-optic broadband services to our members, CoBank has proven to be a great partner, and we are grateful they have been there to help us fulfill our mission when it matters most,” Reyes said.