Peter Schorsch
Florida Power & Light announced Thursday that it is putting workers in place around the state to quickly respond to possible power outages in the wake of Hurricane Irma.
“We continue to pre-position an army of line and vegetation workers across the state where they can make the biggest impact as soon as it is safe to do so. Due to the strength and magnitude of Irma, our service area will likely see widespread and substantial destruction that will require crews to literally rebuild parts of our electric system,” said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL.
“Restoring power through repairs is measured in days, while rebuilding our electric system could be measured in weeks. However, no matter how extensive the damage, we are fully committed to working around the clock to get the lights back on for our customers,” he continued.
More than 11,000 workers are being deployed across the state to respond to outages and FPL said it has invested more than $3 billion in its grid over the last decade to be better prepared for storms, though the company said “no utility is hurricane-proof, especially when facing a storm such as Irma.”
FPL said customers should expect “prolonged power outages” during the storm and should be prepared for more than one outage through the duration of Irma’s assault on the state.
FPL also urged Floridians to get their Hurricane plans in order and heed all warnings and evacuation orders and said customers can report outages and get updates on power restoration efforts through the FPL Mobile App, which is available on both Apple and Android phones.
Tips the company provided include:
- Keep a battery-operated radio on hand with a two-week supply of fresh batteries, along with other essentials.
- Record your FPL account number in a location that will be readily available. By knowing your account number, you will be able to quickly access your account online at FPL.com. Also, have our phone number (1-800-4OUTAGE or 1-800-468-8243) handy in the event you need to call to obtain information through our automated system.
- If someone in your home is dependent on electric-powered, life-sustaining medical equipment, review your family emergency plan for back-up power or make arrangements to relocate now.
- If you plan to use a ladder while preparing your home for the storm, note the location of power lines before you begin. Be sure that ladders or scaffolds are far enough away so that you – and the ends of the tools you’re using – stay at least 10 feet away from power lines. Before lowering a TV antenna or satellite dish, make sure to turn off and unplug the TV.
- Most counties suspend trash and debris pickup before a storm. Please do not trim trees now, as high winds can turn cut branches into dangerous, flying debris. However, if you already have trimmed trees, please help to prevent outages by tying down or securing loose branches or other debris.
- Adjust refrigerators and freezers to their coldest settings ahead of time to keep food fresher longer in the event of a power outage.
- Don’t venture out in the dark, because you might not see a downed power line that could be energized and dangerous; avoid standing water and debris.
- If you see a downed power line, call 911 or FPL at 1-800-4OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243). Stay away from all power lines.
- Heed the warnings and evacuation orders by local, state and federal officials.
