CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) -- Friday was national line worker appreciation day.
It's a time to recognize the hard work of the men and women who keep our lights on. This year especially, in the aftermath of Helene, it's clear how important their jobs are.
"It was just it was devastating," said Shane Stillwell, a Duke Energy journeyman lineman. "It was like nothing we've ever seen."
Christmas tree farm in Avery County works to recover after Hurricane HeleneIn Stillwell's 14 years working for Duke Energy he's never experienced anything quite like Hurricane Helene.
"It's just the whole side of a mountain would be gone, the trees gone," he said. "You're trying to put power back on something that's not there."
Duke Energy lineman Shane Stillwell.He was on the ground in Spruce Pine for two weeks following the storm working to restore power to those who lost everything.
"You just had a feeling of, it was a dread feeling everywhere you went," said Stillwell. "It was sad because your hearts went out to those people that have nothing. They have nothing to come back to."
Knowing he could play a part in helping the people of western North Carolina get back to some sense of normalcy means everything.
"You've got the ability to do and provide to those people, but they depend on for everyday essentials," he said.
Appalachian Rebuild Project works to rebuild Mitchell and Yancey countiesJustin Edwards' job after Helene was to help restore power in the Palmetto State.
"There's definitely a lot more to it than a lot of people think," said the journeyman lineman. "To be able to make them smile, make them happy. That I mean that, that's to me, that's the best part about this job."
He spent 10 days traveling across upstate South Carolina where 98% of Duke's customers lost power.
"It didn't look as bad in some spots and then you would go quarter of a mile and then there'd be tree after tree pole after pole that was that was torn down," said Edwards.
Helene posed a unique challenge for even the longest tenured line workers and taught many of them an important lesson.
"It makes you want to be closer to your coworkers because you just look at what they have," said Stillwell. "People have nothing and what you got to go home to, you just be thankful for what you have."
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