(Radio Iowa) – Reports say at least three-million customers in central Florida are without power after Hurricane Milton slammed ashore last night, bringing heavy rain, flooding and multiple tornadoes. Des Moines-based MidAmerican Energy has a 70-member disaster response crew in western North Carolina, which was hit by Hurricane Helene a few weeks ago. MidAmerican’s Tina Hoffman says the Iowa crew is working with Duke Energy to restore power in the Asheville area. “Duke has asked our crews to stay and continue,” Hoffman says, “and we expect them to be there assisting for at least a couple of more weeks. Of course, the conditions can change.”

Many thousands remain without power following Helene and until they’re reassigned, Hoffman says the Iowa team will stay put in the North Carolina mountains. She says Florida will be able to get help elsewhere. “We have a process that we call mutual assistance,” she says, “so when one utility has customers who are outaged by major incidents, like we’re seeing now, this system allows us to work together and share what needs they have.”

Iowa utility workers in North Carolina prepare for their day. (MidAmerican Energy photo)

Reports say some 90,000 homes in Georgia and North Carolina remain without power after the earlier storm.