GARLAND, Texas, September 26, 2005 - The Garland Power & Light (GP&L) lineman crew arrived at Liberty, Texas 12:30 a.m. Sunday morning to assist in restoring power to the town of over 8,000 people. At daylight, the GP&L crew and crews from other utilities were shown the damage to the electric system caused by Hurricane Rita.

“There is a lot of damage down here,” said Richard Martinez, crew leader. “Wind and fallen trees have knocked down many electric poles. It’s like a domino effect.” It is estimated that nearly 100 electric poles will need to be replaced.

In addition to no electricity in Liberty, Richard says, “There’s little running water, no fuel and no stores or restaurants open. However, we are able to get fuel for our trucks from Liberty’s utility department.”

The GP&L crew, consisting of Richard, Aaron Brooks, Terry Reece and Evan Hooker, is working from daylight to dark. There are no comforts of home once they end their day - they are showering at city facilities and sleeping in their trucks.

Right now, there are about 15 crews from other electric utilities helping with the power restoration effort. Richard says it is estimated that there will ultimately be 20-25 crews.

“Cities from all over Texas are helping here,” said Richard. I’ve seen police cars from Denton, McKinney and San Antonio. I’ve also seen many State Troopers. At night, the armed forces are patrolling the city to keep it safe.”