Peter Schorsch
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is recognizing Tampa Electric (TECO) as StormReady, a designation that considers multiple factors.
TECO is the first Florida utility to receive the national designation.
NOAA assessed TECO’s storm preparedness, including the company’s year-round training, written plans, its facilities, and communication with employees and community partners. They also reviewed how well TECO monitors weather and how it receives and shares severe weather warnings.
Not only did TECO pass the test, its Emergency Management Manager was recognized as a NOAA “Weather-Ready Nation” ambassador.
“The StormReady designation is not just a label, it signifies that we’re on the forefront of advanced storm planning and preparation,” Connelly said. “Being prepared for storms — and being able to quickly recover from them — is essential to provide reliable electricity to our customers when they need it the most.”
The StormReady designation also gives TECO access to enhanced information sharing with NOAA, as well as personalized leadership training on NOAA products such as its Marine Channel Forecast, which provides additional details on storm surge and sea level data.
TECO is moving its headquarters and energy-control operations further inland from its current location, a move primarily due to storm prep. The move will take crucial TECO infrastructure away from storm surge and flood-prone areas, while still being readily accessible to employees at all times, including during storm response. TECO expects the move will help them continue serving customers during critical times.
TECO serves more than 830,000 customers in West Central Florida. It is an investor-owned electric utility and a subsidiary of Emera Inc., which is headquartered in Nova Scotia, Canada.
The news comes just days after much of the Florida Panhandle and peninsula suffered through a winter storm that brought heavy rains, strong wind gusts and flooding to many areas, including some in TECO’s service area.
