BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Apparently, Rhett Butler really does give a damn.

A small town in New Jersey, left without electricity for more than a week following Hurricane Sandy, saw Southerners ride to the rescue in the form of dozens of Alabama Power Co. employees. The Alabama crews left Fair Haven residents impressed. And not just by the efficiency with which they restored power.

"They kept calling me 'Miss Theresa,'" said Fair Haven administrator Theresa Casagrande. "I felt like I was on the set of 'Gone With the Wind.'"

Casagrande and Mayor Benjamin R. Lucarelli said the town of 6,121 people was completely without power after the hurricane made landfall nearby on Oct. 29. Jersey Central Power & Light was focused on repairs that would benefit the most customers the fastest, and Fair Haven's size - just 2,200 households in 1.6 square-miles - put it far down their list of priorities, they said.

As days passed with no relief in sight, residents struggled to stay warm.

"It was cold and we didn't have heat. We didn't have hot water," Casagrande said.

"We were 10 days without even seeing a truck," Lucarelli said. "And then Alabama Power showed up...and they went to work."

On Nov. 8, white trucks bearing the Alabama Power logo filled a staging area at the borough's ballpark.

The Alabama crews, working with borough officials, announced goals each day for power restoration, and hit the mark every time, Lucarelli said. And they did repairs that New Jersey utilities won't. If the hardware that connects power lines to homes is damaged, the mayor said, New Jersey utilities tell homeowners they must hire an electrician to fix it, then call the utility back to have the power turned on. The crews from Alabama had a different answer.

"The guys from Alabama would say 'don't you worry, ma'am. We'll get you back on.' And they did," Lucarelli said. "In Alabama, they raise 'em right."

One of the town's mothers started taking hot coffee and donuts to the crews, and that soon grew to be an organized effort by many in the community to provide hot meals. When power was fully restored three days later, the borough threw a party to see off the Alabamians.

On Monday night, in a ceremony attended by a small group of returning Alabama Power workers, Lucarelli signed a proclamation declaring the Alabamians "Fair Haven's 'Knights in Shining Armor.'"

Alabama Power, in return, presented the borough with a check for $10,000, payable to the Red Cross for hurricane relief efforts.

"I never expected to meet people from Alabama," Casagrande said. "I never expected to shake their hands. We may never cross paths again, but we'll never forget them."