Hurricane Milton has struck Florida quite badly, with over 2 million residents experiencing power outages. This storm has left innumerable homes and infrastructures destroyed, and still so many are in the dark while essential services are disrupted. The guide will be able to demystify the full process of restoration and what to expect afterwards with such a disastrous storm.
Putting the outages into perspective
When Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key on October 9, 2024, the storm cut a swath across Central Florida with wind gusts up to 120 mph. Reports from major utility providers were staggering in number: Florida Power & Light, some 930,000 customers without power; Duke Energy, approximately 666,000 outages; Tampa Electric, about 590,000 affected customers. That destruction on the power grid was made worse by ground conditions that were already saturated from other storms, and which further exacerbated the process of recovery.
Restoration underway for users
Utility companies have activated thousands in response to the massive cuts. FPL has brought in about 14,500 staff from as far as 37 states to help restore power. Duke Energy, for its part, has mustered around 10,000 responders in advance of the expected challenges.
Restoration will begin as soon as it is safe for crews to start working. However, residents should prepare for longer-period power outages due to the following facts:
- Severe damage: Many of the lines and substations might have suffered serious damage that will need very extensive repairs.
- Flooding: The extent of the high water levels could deny access to places needing repair and complicate logistics of restoration.
- Safety precautions: Utility companies do not rush into their repair work but wait for conditions to be safe before initiating them.
Priority of power restoration
Utility companies restore power in a sequence in the aftermath of a storm. The general priority is given to:
- Emergency structures: These are the hospitals, emergency services, and communication facilities.
- Main electric feeder lines: At least it brings back electricity to large areas in a quick manner.
- Subdivisions and neighborhoods: When major lines are back up and functioning, crews begin to restore power in subdivisions.
- Individual outages: Smaller groups or single homes are the last to be addressed.
Homeowners need to be aware that restoration timelines relate to the particular damage in each neighborhood. While some neighbors may have their power back on within days, other neighbors may be without electricity for weeks.
How residents can prepare
As for residents while the authorities are trying to restore power, do the following:
- Stay Informed: Utility updates will be continued via their websites or other social media sites. Many utilities provide live maps of outages and how soon restoration will occur.
- Emergency supplies: Stock up on enough nonperishable food, water, batteries, and supplies to sustain you for several days in case the power is not restored.
- Alternative charging options: Any mobile device or electric vehicle could be charged at any of the public charging stations or by using a portable charger prior to the arrival of the storm.
What to do if power is not restored
If, after a considerable amount of time, you have not had your power restored:
- Report outages: If you suspect that an outage has occurred, call your utility provider on its outage hotline or report it through its website. Reporting your outage informs them of where to deploy resources.
- Check for local updates: Sometimes local news broadcasts critical information for recovering updates and estimated time.
- Seek assistance: In case of immediate assistance required due to medical conditions or for any other emergency please call your local authorities or your emergency services.
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