GRU prepares for Hurricane Michael

Gainesville Regional Utilities is waiting on how the storm might impact the city tonight before sending mutual aid to sister cities.

GRU started preparing early in the week for Hurricane Michael. They have three crews of three people who are knowledgeable about fleet and wastewater safety ready for what may happen.

“We're only sending a smaller contingent,” GRU electric transmission distribution manager David Sparks said. “We will still have a core group here to react to whatever happens in Gainesville but we do feel the need as a mutual aid partner to help our sister cities in need.”

GRU says they have workers on standby throughout the night in case of any power outages in Gainesville.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the people in the panhandle and hope they weather this very well and we understand what they’re going through because we had it here multiple times,” Sparks said. “We just hope that they come through this in one piece."