Mitch Perry
Mayor Bob Buckhorn says restoring electricity to the hundreds of thousands of citizens in Tampa currently without it is issue number one the day after Hurricane Irma barreled through Florida Sunday night.
“It’s power,” the mayor told CNBC’s “Power Lunch” when asked what was the biggest problem facing his city. “We know how miserable this place can be for one day without air conditioning, you go two, three, four days and it’s not going to be very pleasant, so getting that power restored I think is going to be critical.”
Cherie Jacobs, a spokesperson for Tampa Electric, said earlier on Monday that some 300,000 residences – approximately 40% of their entire customer base – was without power. TECO services Hillsborough County and parts of Polk, Pasco and Pinellas counties.
There is fair amount of downed trees and power lines throughout the city, with some blocking roads. Buckhorn said he believes city crews working to clear the streets up should be done within the next 24 to 48 hours.
Buckhorn rescinded the city wide curfew he imposed last night shortly after 8 a.m. Monday. Controversy arose on Sunday afternoon after Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill said Buckhorn did not have the authority to call for such a curfew.
The mayor and interim Police Chief Brian Dugan spent a few minutes at a press conference Sunday just hours before Irma was scheduled to hit the city to warn residents that they would be in trouble if they appeared outside after 6 p.m. “If you are out on the streets after six o’clock, we are going to challenge you and find out what you’re doing out there,” Dugan said. There have not been any reports of looting.
The mayor said that City Hall will be open for business on Tuesday.
