Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) is urging customers to prepare for potential widespread power outages as Tropical Storm Eta approaches South Florida.
Based upon the current forecast path, intensity and FPL's historical modeling, the company estimates a significant number of customers from the Treasure Coast to Miami-Dade County and areas throughout Southwest Florida could experience power outages as severe weather affects Florida's southern peninsula for several days. In some areas, customers could experience more than one outage as weather bands move through.
'We understand the anxiety and frustration our customers are feeling to have to prepare for a storm late in this unprecedented hurricane season,' said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL. 'We have assembled a restoration workforce of approximately 10,000 and we are working to secure additional personnel. The first outer bands of Eta are already beginning to affect parts of South Florida, bringing strong wind gusts, heavy rain and localized flooding. We urge customers to complete their final preparations, prepare for outages and make safety their highest priority.'
Tropical storm-force winds extend 105 miles from the center of the storm and severe weather is expected to affect South Florida for several days. Heavy rains, flooding, high winds and possible tornadoes may cause falling trees and flying debris, creating restoration challenges and longer outages. In areas impacted by flooding, crews must wait for the flood waters to recede before they are able to access equipment and restore power. Following severe weather, crews must cut away trees and other vegetation that have fallen into power lines, or that are in the way, to find and fix damage safely and as quickly as possible. Customers are urged to take the time now to prepare for potentially prolonged outages or more than one outage throughout the duration of the storm.
Restoration workforce
'While we have sent a combined total of approximately 7,300 employees and contractors to assist other utilities five times during this unprecedented hurricane season, we realize that we may not receive the same level of support for this storm due to ongoing natural disasters throughout the country, including ice storms and fires, as well as outages still remaining from hurricanes,' said Silagy. 'Simply put, with fewer people it could take longer to get your lights back on. That's why it is so important that you prepare now - and prepare for the possibility of longer outages.'
McKenley Romeo, FPL's North Broward Distribution area manager who has been with the company since 1994, has supported two mutual assistance efforts this hurricane season, helping restore power after Hurricane Sally and Hurricane Zeta.
'I just returned from Mississippi, where I was helping to restore power to those impacted by Hurricane Zeta,' said Romeo. 'Now we have Eta, and it's going to bring tropical storm-force winds and heavy rain to Florida. We know that this storm will cause widespread outages. I just want our customers to know that we are prepared and my team will not stop until everyone's lights are back on. Please make sure you are prepared and stay safe.'
'Make no mistake, a tropical storm is a powerful force of nature that can cause flooding and extensive damage to our state,' Silagy said. 'Our restoration workforce is already responding to outages and our restoration will follow the path of the storm. Our crews will work continuously, as long as winds are below 35 MPH and conditions are safe. We thank our state and local officials and emergency support personnel for their close coordination, and we thank our customers in advance for their patience.'
Keeping you informed
In the wake of severe weather, we know you need as much information as possible so you can make decisions for you and your family. Every storm is different, but our goal is to get you accurate information as soon as it is available. As Eta approaches Florida's coast and affects our service area over several days, our restoration will follow the path of the storm as it clears each region. We will be out in force assessing damage and restoring service. We must get a solid assessment of the full extent of the damage before we can provide estimates of when power will be restored. We pledge to communicate increasingly specific information as soon as we are able.
We will share the best, most up-to-date information we have as quickly as possible through traditional media, social media, FPL.com and the FPL app.
Responding to COVID-19
In response to the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, our plan includes many precautionary measures for the safety of our customers and our restoration workforce. This includes daily health screenings for restoration personnel and adjusting the layout of staging sites where large numbers of restoration workers gather to allow for as much social distancing as possible and adding more micro-staging sites.
What we're doing
At FPL, we're finalizing preparations for the impact of Eta: We've mobilized and pre-positioned our restoration workforce, so they can quickly start working as soon as it is safe to do so. Approximately 10,000 personnel are committed to the effort and we are working to secure more.
We have reallocated additional resources within the company to help speed the restoration effort.
We've prepared to position our crews at more than 30 sites throughout our service area to speed restoration.
We are coordinating our response with county and state emergency operations centers.
FPL urges customers to review their family and business emergency plans, keep a close watch on the development of the storm and heed warnings and evacuation orders by local, state and federal elected officials. Preparation and safety tips are available at FPL.com/Storm.
As a reminder, most counties in the storm's path will suspend trash and debris pickup before a storm. Please do not trim trees now, as high winds can turn cut branches into dangerous, flying debris. However, if you already have trimmed trees, please help to prevent outages by tying down or securing loose branches or other debris.
Customers can download the FPL app for on-the-go, instant and secure access to their accounts. Customers can report or get the latest information on an outage. The app is available for download in the iOS App Store and Google Play. To quickly download the FPL app, text the word 'App' to MyFPL (69375). Customers also can sign up for storm updates by texting the word 'Join' to MyFPL (69375).
Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the largest energy company in the United States as measured by retail electricity produced and sold, serving more than 5.1 million customer accounts or an estimated 10 million+ people across the state of Florida. FPL's typical 1,000-kWh residential customer bill is approximately 30% lower than the latest national average and among the lowest in the U.S. FPL's service reliability is better than 99.98%, and its highly fuel-efficient power plant fleet is one of the cleanest among all electric companies nationwide. The company was recognized in 2020 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities by Escalent for the seventh consecutive year. A leading Florida employer with approximately 8,900 employees, FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, ethics and diversity, and has been ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune's 2020 list of 'World's Most Admired Companies.' NextEra Energy is also the parent company of Gulf Power Company, which serves approximately 470,000 customers in eight counties throughout northwest Florida, and NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage.
Contact:
Tel: 561-694-4442
Email: Media.Relations@FPL.com
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