Work Truck Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Hurricane Ian: Work Vehicles Respond

Twitter users provide an up-close perspective to utility fleets’ preparations for cleanup, vocational fleets on the ready to respond, and organizations incurring damage to their own vehicles and property.

Chris Brown
Chris BrownAssociate Publisher
Read Chris's Posts
September 29, 2022
Hurricane Ian: Work Vehicles Respond

During natural disasters, drivers of work trucks and fleet vehicles must complete their duties while trying to protect their property and stay safe themselves.

Photo: Canva

3 min to read


As Hurricane Ian leaves parts of Florida devastated in its wake and continues to pummel the East Coast of the U.S., utilities, government agencies, trucking fleets, and other commercial entities are responding.

Twitter users have been providing an up-close perspective on how those entities are deploying work vehicles to protect people and property and take an active role in the cleanup.

Ad Loading...

Before the storm hit, utilities from states as far away as New York sent convoys to Florida to be ready to restore power as needed. Many tweets showed videos from the highway of trucks on the move.

Just saw a convoy of out of town utility trucks going down 75, presumably on their way to Florida in preparation for #HurricaneIan. ⛈ pic.twitter.com/vYlhIOaPNa

— BirdingPeepWx (@BirdingPeepWx) September 26, 2022

This Twitter user reported a traffic jam of trucks outside of Chattanooga, Tenn.

Saw thousands of Line Workers and utility trucks headed down to Tampa Bay as we evacuated the other way. Thanks (in advance) to all these folks. #HurricaneIanpic.twitter.com/hp2Q9cdUAa

— tgirl trying not to be sarcastic (@tranewman) September 27, 2022

This user saw at least 100 trucks on I-95 on Tuesday.

Ad Loading...

Saw thousands of Line Workers and utility trucks headed down to Tampa Bay as we evacuated the other way. Thanks (in advance) to all these folks. #HurricaneIanpic.twitter.com/hp2Q9cdUAa

— tgirl trying not to be sarcastic (@tranewman) September 27, 2022

At one point, power restoration efforts were suspended as conditions were too dangerous to work. The Kissimmee Utility suspended operations at 5:29 on Wednesday.

We have suspended power restoration efforts because storm winds are too strong for our crews to work safely in our bucket trucks. Power will remain off in the affected areas until the winds subside and crews can safely respond.Crews will still respond to emergencies.#HurricaneIanpic.twitter.com/eKeJYZKiLk

— Kissimmee Utility (@KUAdirect) September 29, 2022

This user passed a series of tree trimming trucks on Tuesday headed to the Tampa area.

I passed several convoys of work trucks (bucket trucks, tree trimming trucks, etc.) headed north on I-75 towards Tampa presumably to start staging for the arrival of Hurricane Ian. #HiddenHeroespic.twitter.com/p7BRAjjdtP

— Michael E. Webber (@MichaelEWebber) September 27, 2022

Ad Loading...

These ranchers were grateful for their Ram Truck that helped them tend to cattle before the storm.

I passed several convoys of work trucks (bucket trucks, tree trimming trucks, etc.) headed north on I-75 towards Tampa presumably to start staging for the arrival of Hurricane Ian. #HiddenHeroespic.twitter.com/p7BRAjjdtP

— Michael E. Webber (@MichaelEWebber) September 27, 2022

In Punta Gorda on Florida’s western shore — one of the hardest hit areas — a semi-truck with trailer lays on its side, ostensibly blown over by Ian’s gale force winds.

Semi truck blown over by #HurricaneIan in Punta Gorda. That’s the eye of Ian above, no clear sky eye, just a calm overcast right now. And a guy casually walking his dog pic.twitter.com/ENTkdlR01v

— Mike Killian (@KillianPhoto) September 28, 2022

AT&T reported that it had hundreds of trucks and equipment ready to deploy.

Ad Loading...

The @ATT fleet consists of hundreds of network recovery support trailers and equipment, readied for rapid deployment. #HurricaneIanhttps://about.att.com/pages/disaster-recovery/network-recoverypic.twitter.com/DCW3WHqloV

— AT&T News (@ATTNEWS) September 28, 2022

This fleet of septic trucks is ready assist.

Our fleet is standing by for hurricane-related emergencies. If you are experiencing an emergency (overflow, spill, backups) please call us at 1-888-529-7436 to immediately speak to one of our emergency service representatives.#HurricaneIan#PlumbingEmergencypic.twitter.com/sURve6bMLf

— SepticExperts (@SepticTweets) September 28, 2022

Finally, fire fighters in Naples — and likely countless other first responder units — will have another massive job to clean up their own trucks and equipment.

Praying for all the first responders out there in Florida. This video is unbelievable. Fire trucks under water. 🙏 #Hurricane#IAN#FLOOD 🌀 #Category4#HurricaneIanpic.twitter.com/raqdANRdsR

— GRG | Sentinel 🇺🇸 (@GRGSentinel) September 29, 2022

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet

More Utility Fleet

Promotional graphic for a Work Truck “Trucks, Tips & Tours” video featuring a utility bucket truck, an industry representative, and EUFMC branding, with text reading “Powering Communities” and “What Is EUFMC?” plus a Truck Chat watch prompt.
Utility Fleetby Wayne ParhamJune 16, 2026

Inside the Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference

What is EUFMC? For more than seven decades, the Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference has served as a hub for collaboration, education, and innovation within the utility fleet industry. In this video, Work Truck talks to EUFMC President Greg Loew to learn more.

Read More →
Promotional graphic for a Work Truck “Trucks, Tips & Tours” video featuring utility vehicles at EUFMC, including a tracked utility machine, bucket truck, crane-equipped truck, and service vehicles, with “Truck Chat” branding and a watch-now button.
Utility Fleetby Wayne ParhamJune 9, 2026

Inside the EUFMC Equipment Expo & Drive-Through

Follow Work Truck as we check out the trucks and other vehicles that were showcased at the Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia. Whether looking for something on tires or treads, it was there for fleet managers to see.

Read More →
White Kiley utility truck equipped with a Terex aerial lift parked outside an industrial building. The truck features patriotic red, white, and blue graphics, including an American flag design and “250” anniversary emblems on the body and boom.
Utility FleetJune 2, 2026

Terex Utilities & Kiley Unveil Custom America 250 Bucket Trucks at EUFMC 2026

Terex Utilities showcased a patriotic spirit in its booth this week during the Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia, by debuting two custom-wrapped bucket trucks celebrating America’s upcoming 250th anniversary.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Image promoting the Anterix Active Ecosystem with 900 MHz connectivity for utility work in remote areas. The image features power transmission lines at sunset alongside a rugged Panasonic Toughbook laptop displaying a Windows interface.
Utility FleetMay 19, 2026

Panasonic Connect & Anterix Strengthen Connectivity Options for Utilities and Field Workers

The Panasonic Connect Toughbook 56 is the first Toughbook to earn the AnterixActive badge, which means it can connect to and operate on Anterix’s 900 MHz network even in the most remote locations.

Read More →
Cover of a whitepaper titled “The Hidden Costs of Departmentally Assigned Vehicles on Your Fleet” featuring a black fleet vehicle driving on a road at sunset. Subheadline reads: “Discover how your fleet can reduce costs and minimize risk by implementing vehicle sharing.” The document focuses on fleet optimization, vehicle sharing, cost reduction, utilization tracking, and risk management for fleet operations.
SponsoredMay 13, 2026

Why Fleet Managers Are Replacing Departmental Vehicles with Shared Motor Pools

Departmentally assigned vehicles often create hidden costs through underutilization, poor visibility, and increased administrative burden. This white paper explores how shared motor pool strategies help fleets reduce costs, improve accountability, and optimize vehicle utilization.

Read More →
Large orange handheld searchlight and an area light on a tripod against a blue background and a Streamlight logo.
Utility FleetApril 24, 2026

Streamlight Launches Portable Scene Light III & LiteBox 1Million

Streamlight has launched its Portable Scene Light III (PSL III), which delivers up to 10,000 lumens, and the LiteBox 1Million, a long-range search light that delivers one million candela.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Photo of a utility worker in bucket truck working on powerlines against a blue sky and inset logo for EUFMC.
Utility Fleetby News/Media ReleaseApril 14, 2026

EUFMC 2026 Matches Fleet Registration Record

EUFMC 2026 registration has surpassed last year’s fleet registration record, and the event will deliver a variety of topics during its educational program, Driving Safety, Sustainability & Technical Expertise.

Read More →
Man talking with hands outstretched in front of a room that is tinted blue, headline What to Expect from Palfinger in 2026, and logos for Work Truck and Truck Chat.
Utility Fleetby Wayne ParhamApril 1, 2026

What to Expect from PALFINGER in 2026

Work Truck visited with Ismael Daneluz, vice president of sales and service for PALFINGER North America, to discuss where the company is headed in 2026. In this video, he discusses new products and a strategic growth outlook.

Read More →
SponsoredMarch 9, 2026

Boosting Last-Mile Fleet Uptime, Safety, and Value with AI Vehicle Inspections

AI-powered inspections are transforming last-mile fleets by replacing manual checks with highly accurate automated scans that detect defects in seconds. By giving fleet operations visibility into the daily condition of their vehicles, you can identify trends over the vehicle’s lifecycle that enable improved procurement decisions, route management, driver training and accountability.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Rubber mat on a construction site with a small tractor driving onto it.
Utility FleetMarch 4, 2026

DICA Launches Complete Engineered Ground Protection Line

DICA’s new Ranger HD, Defender MD, and Titan mat systems deliver scalable, high-performance ground protection solutions. All are being exhibited this week at CONEXPO 2026.

Read More →