Peter Schorsch
With Hurricane Dorian heading toward Florida’s East Coast, Florida Power and Light has activated its emergency response plan.
The company says in a news release that it has secured some 13,000 employees and additional personnel to help restore power after the storm hits. They’re also working with utility companies across the country to pre-position crews and additional equipment in advance of Dorian’s landfall.
FPL President and CEO Eric Silagy said the company operates more than 48,000 miles (77,000 kilometers) of overhead powerlines across the state. The company says to prepare for power outages because of all the trees that surround the power lines.
Here are some additional steps the company is taking:
- The company said it is working with utilities nationwide to get extra crews and equipment ahead of landfall.
- The company is urging customers to make preparations now. Customers can download the Florida Power and Light app by texting the word “App” to 69375.
The National Hurricane Center said the Category 2 storm is expected to strengthen into a potentially catastrophic Category 4 and slam into the U.S. on Monday somewhere between the Florida Keys and southern Georgia.
With the storm’s track still unclear, no immediate mass evacuations have been ordered.
More than 4 million Florida Power & Light customers lost power when Hurricane Irma hit the state two years ago, but with the help of workers brought in from 30 states and Canada the utility was able to restore power to 50 percent of them within one day. The company restored power to 99 percent of those customers within 10 days.
