"Hurricane Ian was one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever make landfall in our state – which left widespread destruction all along its path. Parts of central and north Florida are still under water, with significant flooding throughout Volusia County and Southwest Florida. Some of our equipment is under water, roads – even highways – are impassable, all of which makes it difficult to work. It’s why we’re leveraging technology, like drones, to get a bird’s eye view of the damage.
"We feared a storm as powerful as Hurricane Ian would mean rebuilding parts of our system, not simply repairing and restoring. That is typically measured in weeks, not days. While there are pockets of our service area with extensive damage – particularly Southwest Florida – we can tell you that this restoration will be measured in days, not weeks. For customers who can safely receive power, here’s what we’re able to provide:
• Brevard and Okeechobee counties are essentially restored.
• Northern Manatee, Flagler, Seminole and Volusia counties will be 95 percent restored by end of day Tuesday, Oct. 4.
• Southern Manatee and southern Collier counties will be 95 percent restored by end of day Wednesday, Oct. 5.
• Southeast parts of Manatee county, Charlotte, northern Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Lee and Sarasota counties will be 95 percent restored by end of day Sunday, Oct. 9, though we expect most customers will be restored by end of day Friday, Oct. 7.
"The timeframe provided is based on a worse-case scenario, and it’s possible your power will be back on sooner. It’s important to remember that estimated times of restoration exclude customers who can’t safely receive power because their home or business is damaged. If you’re in an area with flooding or extensive damages, you can expect it may take a little longer to repair. Even if the damage is not visible to you, it could still be affecting you further up on the line that you are served by."
