Scott Powers
More than half of Collier and Lee counties now have power but approximately 100,000 customers in each was without electricity, and 1.4 million statewide Friday evening.
Statewide, more than 87 percent of Florida has the lights – and air conditioning – back on, in the latest report issued by the Florida Office of Emergency Management, as of 1 p.m. Friday.
Collier and Lee, hard hit by Hurricane Irma, saw dramatic improvements in electrical service since Thursday, but still are plagued by widespread outages. So is Monroe County, home of the Florida Keys, where 54 percent still were without power.
Hundreds of thousands of customers – homes and businesses – also were without power throughout the South Florida counties of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, but all three have power restored to more than 80 percent.
In Central Florida, Orange County’s outage was limited to 6 percent, or 36,414 homes and businesses, while Brevard County still had no service to 19 percent, or 59,515. Volusia County’s outage is limited to 18 percent, or 51,000, and Seminole County’s to 16 percent, or 34,000.
In Tampa Bay, Pinellas County’s outage was down to 11 percent, or 59,855 customers, while Hillsborough County’s was down to just 5 percent, or 30,415 homes and businesses.
In Duval County, 4 percent, or 19,417 customers, were without power.
