JUNO BEACH, Fla., June 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- As severe weather approaches the Florida peninsula, Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) is preparing for impact in its service area and urges customers to make safety a priority.

The latest forecasts indicate severe weather across the state, including heavy rain, winds and a potential for tornadoes expected to impact Florida's West Coast as early as Sunday evening. It is expected that much of Florida will be impacted by this severe weather and FPL customers in affected areas may experience power outages. FPL will work to restore power safely and as quickly as possible.

"We have increased our restoration staffing throughout the state and are pre-positioning additional resources on the West Coast of Florida, where we expect initial storm impacts, and also in the Daytona-St. Augustine area. In total, we have more than 6,000 resources ready to respond throughout our service area. These actions will ensure we are positioned to restore power safely and as quickly as possible," said Eric Silagy, president and CEO for FPL. "Importantly, we also ask that customers make safety their top priority."

How we prepare for storm season

• Prior to storm season, we conduct extensive training to prepare our employees to respond safely and as quickly as possible if a storm threatens our service area.
• We work closely with local emergency officials to update lists of facilities that are critical to the community, such as hospitals, police and fire stations, communication facilities, water treatment plants and transportation providers.
• We also prepare and strengthen our infrastructure throughout the year by:
  • Clearing tree limbs and branches from power lines;
  • Inspecting poles for strength;
  • Upgrading poles from wood to concrete or steel; and
  • Inspecting power lines and equipment with infrared technology to detect issues and make repairs as needed.

FPL urges customers to review their family and business emergency plans, and to keep a close watch on any developments and follow the advice of local government. Preparation and safety tips are available at FPL.com/storm.

Please stay safe
Safety is always FPL's priority. We urge customers to make it their priority, too:

• Record your FPL account number in a location that will be readily available. By knowing your account number, you will be able to quickly access your account online at FPL.com using your computer or mobile device. Also have our phone number (1-800-4OUTAGE or 1-800-468-8243) handy, in the event that you need to call to obtain information through our automated system.
• If someone in your home is dependent on electric-powered, life-sustaining medical equipment, review your family emergency plan for backup power or make arrangements to relocate when a storm warning is issued.
• Use caution when driving.
  • Power interruptions may cause traffic signals to stop working without warning. If you come to an intersection with a non-working traffic signal, Florida law requires that you treat it as a four-way stop; and
  • Avoid driving on flooded roadways. 
• If you plan to use a ladder while preparing your home for the storm, note the location of power lines before you begin. Be sure that ladders or scaffolds are far enough away so that you – and the ends of the tools you're using – stay at least 10 feet away from power lines.

Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the third-largest electric utility in the United States, serving more than 4.8 million customer accounts or more than 10 million people across nearly half of the state of Florida. FPL's typical 1,000-kWh residential customer bill is approximately 30 percent lower than the latest national average and, in 2015, was the lowest in Florida among reporting utilities for the sixth year in a row. FPL's service reliability is better than 99.98 percent, and its highly fuel-efficient power plant fleet is one of the cleanest among all utilities nationwide. The company was recognized in 2015 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities by Market Strategies International. A leading Florida employer with approximately 8,800 employees, FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Fla.-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 2016 list of "World's Most Admired Companies." NextEra Energy is also the parent company of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun. For more information, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

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SOURCE Florida Power & Light Company