Shallotte, NC – Hurricane Florence brought high winds and record flooding to Brunswick County and southeastern North Carolina in mid-September. The damage caused by the storm affected tens of thousands in the ATMC service area and left the cooperative with outages and other widespread service-related issues. To help ATMC restore services quickly, cooperatives from North and South Carolina sent additional manpower and equipment to help ATMC get back on its feet.

The slow-moving storm caused widespread power outages and significant damage to portions of ATMC’s communications network. Widespread flooding and continued rain made the task of restoring service very dangerous. ATMC employees worked day and night, both during the storm and after, making repairs, but they didn’t have to do it alone. Additional technicians and equipment were provided by fellow communications cooperatives: Randolph Communications, Skyline/SkyBest Communications, YadTel, and Horry Telephone Cooperative. The assistance offered by these companies was critical in helping ATMC recover quickly.

“It’s situations like this that demonstrate the close bond shared by cooperatives. Before the storm hit, we had other cooperatives reach out to offer help in any way we needed it,” said Keith Holden, ATMC CEO. “We are extremely grateful to Randolph, Skyline/SkyBest, Yadtel, and HTC, who were there when we needed them most, to help us serve our members. It’s a great demonstration of how cooperatives pull together to put service first.”Kim Garner, CEO & General Manager of Randolph Communications stated, “When our fellow Coop needed help, we were more than happy to offer assistance. The other Coops are our family. When there is a need, family is there to help.” Garner further explained, “We were just glad we could play a small part in helping restore services to their members. It’s the Cooperative way.”