Hurricane Milton: Wisconsin crews headed south to help

CEDARBURG, Wis. – As thousands evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton, some are in hiding.

Marquette University graduate and Tampa resident Valerie Wilson Reed and her family are preparing.

“I'm worried. However, we have done everything we can to prepare for it,” said Wilson Reed. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event, but we’re ready.”

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The Marquette graduate has a home in Brookfield but lives primarily in Tampa. She is originally from the Florida city but has never experienced anything like this.

Valerie Wilson Reed and family

“We all look out for each other and we will weather the storm,” she said.

Wilson Reed will live with her husband and her 94-year-old mother in a condominium on the 17th floor of a high-rise building. She said much of the building will remain standing, ready for anything that might happen.

“We are in a very stable building. It has a generator, a backup generator,” Wilson Reed said.

As Wilson Reed settles in, two workers from Cedarburg Light & Water Utility will go there to help rebuild after the storm.

Nick Feucht and Brad Klos are journeyman linemen.

“It’s exciting to be there and help these people,” said Feucht.

They will join utility workers from 23 other Wisconsin communities helping rebuild in Kissimmee, Florida. Your truck is stocked with the tools you need and safety is our top priority.

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“People in this career are willing to jump in and come from 12,000 miles away,” Klos said.

The closer the storm gets, the more nervous people will be affected by it.

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“We are strong and we will get through this,” Wilson Reed said.

Wisconsin is one of 16 states sending utility workers to support the rebuilding and recovery. This will be the first time men from Cedarburg Light & Water Utility will rebuild after a hurricane.