Hurricane Milton leaves over 3 million people in Florida without electricity
Date
10/13/2024 8:38:35 AM
(MENAFN) Hurricane Milton left more than three million Florida residents without power after it swept across the state overnight on Wednesday. Officials are urging patience as utility crews work tirelessly to restore electricity to the affected areas. Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, was one of the hardest-hit regions, with Tampa Electric (TECO) reporting extensive outages. TECO President Archie Collins shared during a Thursday afternoon press conference that nearly 600,000 of the company's 850,000 customers are currently without power, marking what he believes is the largest outage TECO has ever experienced.
The hurricane's impact was anticipated, and TECO took steps to prepare in advance. Collins explained that the utility company had assembled 6,000 workers to assist with restoring power, a number far greater than the 3,500 workers typically deployed during previous hurricanes in his seven years at the company. Despite this massive workforce, the scale of the damage means that restoring power will be a complex and lengthy process, as crews face multiple obstacles while working to get the grid back online.
On Thursday, much of the focus was on assessing the damage. TECO sent out helicopters to survey the transmission grid, identifying the most significant sources of outages. The region has been dealing with widespread localized flooding due to heavy rains, which has compounded the difficulties. Strong winds have also caused overhead infrastructure to sway, further complicating the restoration efforts, according to Collins.
Meanwhile, first responders in Hillsborough County, including police officers and firefighters, are working tirelessly to address the emergency. Deputy Sheriff Colonel Anthony Collins reported numerous downed trees across the area, which are delaying rescue operations. Some trees are entangled with electrical wires, and responders are unsure whether these wires are still live, making it dangerous to proceed. He emphasized the need for patience as crews work to clear the debris and restore services, noting that many traffic signals are also out of operation, further contributing to the difficulties on the ground.
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