Utility crews from the Hudson Valley are heading south to join a massive mutual assistance effort to restore power to Florida once Hurricane Irma finishes her fury.

Orange & Rockland Utilities and Con Edison are sending more than 80 electric power line restoration workers who will wait in a staging area before heading to the Tampa area.

Restoring power after a tree falls on power lines can take up to six hours in the Hudson Valley - the job will be much bigger in Florida.

"The first step in a job like this is starting to clear away the wreckage so they can get to where the electric poles and lines are. If the poles are shattered you have to get new poles," says Mike Donovan, of Orange & Rockland Utilities.

Although the crews will be focusing on turning the lights back on, it's only the beginning chapter of Florida's road to recovery that could take months or even years.

Thousands of utility companies from across the country are staging in and outside of Florida, preparing for the massive job ahead.