Electric Utility Operations

Line Life Podcast: Looking Back on the Hurricane Maria Restoration

Feb. 16, 2022

For our February 2022 podcast, Bladimir Rodriguez shares his memories of restoring power in Puerto Rico.

When they close their eyes, every lineworker can go back to relive their most memorable storm. For Bladimir Rodriguez, a general foreman for E-J Electric in Staten Island, New York, Hurricane Maria was an unforgettable experience.

Back in November 2017, he and his team traveled to Puerto Rico to restore power. When they arrived, many of the homes and power poles were simply gone, and the damage was beyond repair. In many locations, the lineworkers had to start from scratch and rebuild.

"It was exhausting and draining, but when we restored power to a customer, the gratitude and emotion and sense of relief made it all worth it," said Rodriguez in his Lifeline profile. "Almost every household had tears of joy running down their faces. It was only the beginning of a new start for them, but I was thrilled to be a part of it."

For our February Line Life podcast, Field Editor Amy Fischbach caught up with Rodriguez, who shared his experiences restoring power in not only Puerto Rico, but also in Louisiana following Hurricane Ida.

To listen to the latest episode, click on the link below. You can also visit our podcast landing page to listen to past episodes or email us with a comment or leave a voice memo. We look forward to hearing from you!

Line Life Podcast: Now on Podbean
T&D World's Line Life Podcast is now on Podbean, and starting in January 2024, it is moving from monthly to weekly distribution. Follow us on Podbean to be notified when new episodes are available. If you have a suggestion for a podcast guest, email us at [email protected]. Also, be sure to check out our latest episodes below.

About the Author

Amy Fischbach | Amy Fischbach, EUO Contributing Editor

Amy Fischbach is the Field Editor for T&D World magazine and manages the Electric Utility Operations section. She is the host of the Line Life Podcast, which celebrates the grit, courage and inspirational teamwork of the line trade. She also works on the annual Lineworker Supplement and the Vegetation Management Supplement as well as the Lineman Life and Lineman's Rodeo News enewsletters. Amy also covers events such as the Trees & Utilities conference and the International Lineman's Rodeo. She is the past president of the ASBPE Educational Foundation and ASBPE and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from Kansas State University. She can be reached at [email protected].