Alabama Power sent 20 state employees to CenterPoint Energy to help restore power in the Houston area of Texas last week.

The crew of employees left with a convoy of boats and special equipment to help with the effort.

Beth Thomas, external affairs manager with Alabama Power, said CenterPoint requested specialized equipment for the aid.

“We had some of the equipment at Alabama Power that they asked for,” Thomas said. “So, we sent six boats and two marsh masters.”

Thomas said marsh masters are able to pass through swampy, muddy terrain and wet areas, where regular vehicles can’t easily reach.

“We have two of these vehicles at Alabama Power,” she said. “One was sent from the Mobile area, and the other one was from North Alabama.”

Of the 20-employee crew, two of them are from Mobile. The crew arrived in Houston late last week and will be gone for about 10 days.

Hurricane Harvey dumped record-setting amounts of water on the east Texas Gulf Coast, topping 50 inches in some places. The storm produced heavy rains in Louisiana, Mississippi and south Alabama.

The Alabama Power team and equipment will help CenterPoint crews speed repairs in still-flooded, wet or marshy areas.

The Southern Company Charitable Foundation has pledged $100,000 to the American Red Cross to aid in Harvey relief efforts. Southern Company also has established a donation matching program for employees and retirees. Alabama Power is a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company.