Last year’s Hurricanes Helene and Milton roared through several Southern states, leaving a swath of devastation in their wake. That unprecedented storm season underscored the critical importance of readiness. Companies like TECO Peoples Gas, Chesapeake Utilities Corporation and Atmos Energy emphasize resilience by implementing innovative solutions that ensure operational continuity and safeguard communities. Their efforts not only mitigate risks but also set benchmarks for industry best practices.

When Milton struck Tampa and its surrounding areas last October, TECO Peoples Gas’ Mobile Command Center was ready. TECO Peoples Gas, Florida’s largest natural gas utility, has operated its state-of-the-art Mobile Command Center since 2015. Recent unit upgrades included:

• Safety retrofits such as reflective chevron striping
• LED strobe lights
• New fire extinguishers
• New AED and first aid kits
• Front and rear-facing cameras
• A plotter for large-scale printing, so technicians can print maps on site

The command center is a pivotal resource during emergency events like hurricanes. It provides a centralized hub for coordination and decision-making when natural gas utility operations are at risk or disrupted. Resembling a semi or container truck, it’s housed at TECO Peoples Gas’ headquarters in Tampa and can be dispatched anywhere it’s needed. For field technicians, it’s like an emergency office on wheels.

“This way they’re not driving miles and miles on hurricane-damaged roads and fighting with other traffic,” Linda Barker, TECO Peoples Gas’ senior director of safety and compliance, said. “After the hurricanes last summer, we initially used it in Tampa and then drove it down to Sarasota—about an hour south.”

The command center is equipped with all the basics—such as a conference table and chairs, refrigerator, coffee machine, microwave and whiteboard—to highly advanced technology and redundant communication systems. It has Starlink, quad cellular capability, satellite phones and a mobile radio tower that can be supported by other radio towers, providing a hub so the team can work in more remote areas and report back to company leaders. The amenity that workers appreciate the most is the air conditioning during steamy post-storm days.

TECO Peoples Gas also uses the center to monitor real-time weather data, dispatch crews efficiently and engage in precise coordination with local and state emergency management agencies. “There’s even a side panel that opens to reveal a monitor, so a larger group could meet outside and view a presentation or weather updates,” Barker said. 

Right after an incident, TECO Peoples Gas conducts a roundtable meeting consisting of key people who review how the response went, discuss lessons learned, assign resolutions and research. “Keep in mind, each incident is going to be different,” Barker said.

For example, being on a barrier island where a bridge is washed out is a lot different than being in a metropolitan area. That’s why TECO Peoples Gas works closely with local law enforcement to ensure that areas closed to vehicles are safe for them to access.  

The Mobile Command Center isn’t only deployed for storm response. For example, it has been used when part of the pipeline system was damaged by third-party construction contractors, and it took several days to make repairs and restore service. “Having it be a presence is a signal to communities that we are there and working,” Barker shared. “It brings comfort and peace of mind.”

Chesapeake Utilities Corporation: A Training Focus

Chesapeake Utilities Corporation—which operates Florida City Gas and Florida Public Utilities in that state—has approached hurricane preparedness with an equally forward-thinking mindset. The company has invested heavily in safety and simulation training programs.  

“At CUC, our emergency preparedness procedures and protocols for responding to

pipeline emergencies and incidents are a top priority,” Andrena Burd, assistant vice president, risk management, said. “Our Enterprise Safety Program is aligned with Recommended Practice 1173 for Pipeline Safety Management Systems, which is modeled after the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, promoting continuous improvement across our entire organization.”

CUC stages livesimulations and has adopted the National Incident Management Systems approach to emergency response. All relevant stakeholders participate in person or via Teams and undergo a realistic scenario-based training based on historically accurate events which have impacted its territories. Exercises consist of three modules:

Module 1: Initial Response. A recent exercise offered details of a scenario storm. It provided information regarding where the storm was coming from and where it was headed. It listed key issues associated with the storm, such as ground-saturated waterways and a large geographic area. Based on the information provided, a discussion was initiated to review and address specific concerns. For example, what are potential sources for assistance, and how will the company activate resources during the storm?

Module 2: Response. During the exercise, updates were provided starting at five days out from the storm and counting down to two days prior, including warnings and evacuation orders. Based on that information, the team addressed the next set of questions, focusing on corporate communications, customer care, preapproved messaging, response times and more.

Module 3: Recovery. Once the storm passed, the focus turned to the logistics and strategy of restoring service as quickly as possible. Leveraging the centralized command structure, the enterprise developed a coordinated response to incidents across locations, including flooding, damaged facilities and widespread outages.

Transitioning to the NIMS Incident Command System provides numerous benefits, said the utility:

• Enhanced coordination
• Improved resource management
• Standardized training and exercises

All of these enable multiagency coordination and seamless sharing of public information, which is critical to effective incident response. NIMS helps ensures that diverse agencies and organizations can work together, regardless of the incident’s size, location or complexity.

Prior to implementing the NIMS structure, CUC’s incident preparedness exercises focused on reviewing and improving policy and procedure. Here is a timeline of how they transitioned:

• In 2021, the company moved to a more formal tabletop exercise, similar to a policy and procedure review.
• In 2022, it began discussing the NIMS model and the value-added benefit to its response capabilities.
• In 2023, it started using a more scenario/inject approach following the HSEEP format (Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program).
• In 2024, it continued to expand the exercise to more of a tabletop format and began to use the NIMS ICS model.
• This year, it ran the exercise strictly following the NIMS ICS model, with the use of compliant forms and terminology for positions. Additionally, it followed the Planning ‘P’ process (see emilms.fema.gov/is_0453/groups/35.html) and led the exercise through several injects designed to test the value-added benefit of using the NIMS ICS model.

Buy-in for NIMS implementation must start at the top, said Burd. “We have annual team incentive goals aligned with our Organizational Imperatives—safety being our top imperative,” she said. “Last year, my team recommended to the Executive Safety Team that the 2025 Safety Team Incentive Plan goal be to implement NIMS.”

The first step in implementing NIMS is to train employees online through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In addition, CUC has set as its 2025 TIP Safety Goal to train all employees on two of FEMA’s introductory courses:

• ICS-100, a two-hour course to be completed by July 30, 2025
• ICS-700, a three-and-a-half-hour course to be completed by Oct. 31, 2025

To help make this process as simple as possible, Rob Pearce, director of corporate security, partnered with Enterprise Health and Safety to develop in-house training to prepare staff to register with FEMA. The team will also support CUC’s staff through the entire process and is available onsite and virtually.

“It’s not an overnight journey,” said Burd. “Build a roadmap. Have a continuous improvement mindset and get support from your executive leadership team.”

During Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in the Big Bend area of the Florida Gulf Coast last September, natural gas utilities from as far away as California rushed to help those impacted by the storm, sending crews and team members to assist with damage assessment and service restoration.

Volunteers also played a huge role. At Atmos Energy, a 5,300-person company, AtmoSpirit is the heart of its culture, and Jason Wheeler, a senior service technician from Monroe, Louisiana, headed to Florida motivated to make a difference. 

Before leaving for Port Charlotte, Florida, Wheeler coordinated with other local Atmos employees to donate and collect resources like shoes, clothing and toiletries. He then drove to the coast, using six days of paid time off. During that time, he worked with other volunteers to clear 110 homes, which included gutting and demolishing homes and organizing furniture and personal belongings for homeowners to sort and reclaim.

Once homes were cleaned out (called mud outs), volunteers set up fans to dry out homes as much as possible, while treating areas with initial mold control before full-on renovations could take place. “These mud-outs save people a ton of money and put them way ahead on getting their home rebuilt,” Wheeler said.

While volunteering, he helped one senior who lost nearly all her belongings. To her, a pair of shoes was like gold—and Wheeler had just the right size. Another woman was reunited with her recently deceased husband’s ashes. “A small offering goes a long way,” Wheeler said. “And when you show up, it means more than a social media post. Some people just wanted me to pray with them.”

One of Wheeler’s most useful skills that he learned from his job at Atmos had to do with noticing hazards. He explained that you never know what to expect when you walk into someone’s house. “We’ve learned how to do things safely and can pass that knowledge onto the homeowner,” he said. “For example, people don’t typically wear gloves because they think it’s no big deal, but their stuff’s been sitting in this house soaking in water for weeks. There’s glass everywhere. The medicine cabinets are open. You must protect yourself the best you can.” 

“Make a Difference” is a founding principle of the AtmoSpirit culture, and Wheeler follows in the footsteps of other Atmos Energy employees before him who have responded to other devastating tornadoes, floods and wildfires.

“Our people, like Jason, living out these principles we hold dear, play a key role in ‘Fueling Safe and Thriving Communities,’” Joshua Zeagler, operations supervisor said. “Compassion to give back to the communities we serve is woven into the culture of Atmos Energy, so our employees jump at the chance to support those in need when disaster strikes.”

Wheeler said if he could use just one word to describe how people reacted to the volunteers’ presence, it would be “joyful.” “They were just so happy to have people there helping them,” he said.

The Industry’s Commitment to Resilience

Hurricanes are a persistent threat to all utilities operating in storm-prone regions, and these companies demonstrate what it means to be adaptive and proactive. They exemplify the natural gas industry’s broader commitment to safety, innovation, and service reliability—proving that, with the right investments and strategies, resilience is achievable even in the face of nature’s most turbulent challenges.