JUNO BEACH, Fla. – Florida Power & Light Company is continuing its all-out effort in Southwest Florida to restore service to customers who experienced the worst of Hurricane Ian’s high-end Category 4 fury.

As of 10 a.m., FPL has restored power to 92% of the approximately 2.1 million customers affected by Ian, with restoration essentially complete in all regions of the state except Southwest Florida, where Ian’s 150 mph winds, unprecedented storm surge and flooding devastated many communities.

Completing restoration ahead of schedule in other parts of Florida has allowed FPL to redirect most of its workforce of 21,000 strong – including mutual assistance from 30 states – to Southwest Florida.

While FPL expects restoration to be essentially complete in Southwest Florida by Friday night, thousands of homes and businesses in the region have been so badly damaged that they may not be able to safely receive electrical service. In areas where search and rescue is still underway, FPL will begin restoration work when emergency officials say it is safe to do so.

FPL continues to work closely with emergency responders and emergency management officials to energize areas that can safely receive power. Some customers may also need to contact a licensed electrician to repair damaged, customer-owned electrical equipment like meter enclosures and weather heads in order to safely receive power.

“We know this is a time of heartbreak and loss for many Floridians and we are dedicated to helping customers get back on their feet after this devastating storm,” said Eric Silagy, chairman and CEO of FPL. “Some of our customers’ homes, condominiums or apartments were significantly damaged and will be unable to receive power. FPL is making financial assistance available through our FPL Care to Share® program for eligible customers who need repairs on damaged meter enclosures and weather heads before they can safely receive power.”

FPL’s Care to Share program is made possible by the generosity of FPL employees, shareholders and customers who donate to help individuals and families who are experiencing temporary difficulties. Eligible customers in need of repairs for damaged meter cans and weather heads in order to safely receive power can apply for financial assistance up to $1,000 at FPL.com/help, under the Apply for Hurricane Ian repairs section. Customers who want to support hurricane victims can also visit FPL.com/help to contribute to Care to Share.

Swarming hard-hit neighborhoods with massive workforce

The massive restoration effort is currently supported by 18 staging and parking sites strategically positioned for the rapid deployment of crews and equipment to help restore power faster. The number of these operating bases is down from a peak of 38 because, as FPL has completed restoration in some areas, the company has shifted resources to Southwest Florida. For example, with Volusia and Seminole counties essentially restored Tuesday, FPL moved about 1,000 restoration workers from that region to Southwest Florida.

As is historically the case, the first few days of power restoration after Hurricane Ian resulted in large numbers of customers being restored quickly when FPL energized electrical substations and main power lines serving thousands of customers. In fact, by the end of Friday – the first full day of restoration work after Ian left the state – FPL had restored power to two-thirds of customers affected by the storm. However, progress slows as crews focus on the hardest-hit areas, often contending for hours with significant tree and storm surge damage to get access to neighborhood power lines and other electrical infrastructure that serve only a handful of customers. In some of the hardest-hit areas, multiple specialized tree-trimming crews are needed to clear debris for every traditional line crew working to repair or rebuild infrastructure.

Restoration estimates

In the wake of a hurricane, FPL knows customers need as much information as possible in order to make decisions for their families. Every hurricane is different, but FPL’s goal is to provide customers more accurate information faster than ever before. The full schedule of estimated restoration times is outlined as follows.  

In addition to the crews working around the clock to restore power, damage assessment teams have worked simultaneously to evaluate inaccessible areas. Ground assessment proved challenging due to flooded and washed-out roadways and bridges, but technologies like FPLAir One – the company’s fixed-wing drone which is taking to the skies again today – provide critical intelligence to put the right crews and the right equipment in the right places to restore power safely and as quickly as possible. In other instances, FPL has found new ways to survey damage – from riding airboats through DeSoto County to even deploying a kayak in Volusia County to put eyes inside a flooded substation.  

Storm-hardened system benefits customers during Hurricane Ian  

For nearly two decades, FPL has invested significantly in building a stronger, smarter and more storm-resilient energy grid. While no energy grid is hurricane-proof, detailed assessments following Hurricane Ian have confirmed the resiliency of FPL’s storm-hardened energy grid:  

• FPL’s power generating facilities: Even given the unprecedented devastation caused by Hurricane Ian, no significant structural damage occurred at any FPL power plant.   
• FPL’s transmission system: The backbone of any electrical system, transmission lines carry high-voltage electricity from power plants to substations. FPL did not lose a single transmission structure during Hurricane Ian.  
• Underground power lines: FPL is working to systematically underground neighborhood power lines, which are traditionally located in backyards and susceptible to trees and other wind-blown debris. Initial forensics show existing underground neighborhood power lines performed five times better than existing overhead neighborhood power lines in Southwest Florida, which took a direct hit from the high-end, Category 4 storm.  

Immediately after a storm, FPL knows if main power lines have been damaged. If customers believe their power is out for this reason, there is no need to contact FPL. Customers should call 911 or FPL at 1-800-4OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243) only to report dangerous situations such as downed power lines or sparking electrical equipment. Customers can report an outage at FPL.com/Outage or on the FPL app. 

Customers may experience outages over the coming weeks and months due to weakened trees and branches that could fall, impacting power lines and electric equipment. In addition, salt contamination along the coastline and significant wind gusts, which may loosen some electrical connections, may lead to increased outages following the storm. FPL crews will continue to respond as these outages are identified.

Be certain your home or business is ready to receive power  

While FPL works to restore power safely and as quickly as possible, some homes and businesses may have suffered damage that makes them unable to safely accept power. If the power is on next door but yours is not, make certain that your home or business is ready to receive it by checking the connection to FPL.  

• Look at the meter, the box that holds it and connected pipes and wires on the wall of the building.  
• If the meter box, pipes or wires are bent or broken, repairs may be needed before FPL can restore power. If it looks damaged, contact a licensed electrician. Do not touch damaged equipment.  
• If the meter itself is damaged, restoration personnel will replace it.  

If your home has water damage from leaks or flooding, water may come into contact with electrical wiring:  

• Use caution when disconnecting electric appliances that are still plugged in. Don’t stand in water when operating switches, plugging in or unplugging electrical cords.  
• If you have any doubts about your home's electric system or are unsure of how to proceed, call a professional, licensed electrician.  
• In a flooded home, battery-powered lighting is the safest lighting source. Use flashlights when inspecting a home for possible damage.  

What FPL is doing  

FPL is working around the clock:  

• FPL’s restoration workforce is actively responding to outages caused by this destructive and damaging storm.   
• More than 21,000 restoration personnel, as well as the necessary supplies and equipment, are dedicated to the effort.   
• The company is operating 18 staging and parking sites to help speed restoration.  
• FPL is focused on restoring power safely and as quickly as possible, and the company is asking customers to make safety their top priority as well. 

Additional resources    

• How FPL restores power   
• Stay safe after a storm   

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).    

How to stay informed    

FPL communicates restoration information to customers frequently through the news media and the following resources:     

• FPL website: FPL.com     
• Twitter: twitter.com/insideFPL    
• Facebook: facebook.com/FPLconnect     
• FPL Power Tracker: FPL.com/powertracker    
• FPL Power Tracker (Northwest Florida): FPL.com/mypowertracker   
• FPL app: Download from the App Store or Google Play, or text the word “App” to MyFPL (69375)    

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Florida Power & Light Company  

As America’s largest electric utility, Florida Power & Light Company serves more customers and sells more power than any other utility, providing clean, affordable, reliable electricity to approximately 5.8 million accounts, or more than 12 million people. FPL operates one of the cleanest power generation fleets in the U.S. and in 2021 won the ReliabilityOne® National Reliability Award for the sixth time in the last seven years. The company received the top ranking in the southern U.S. among large electric providers, according to J.D. Power’s 2021 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction StudySM and 2021 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction StudySM. The company was also recognized in 2020 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities by Escalent for the seventh consecutive year. 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, corporate responsibility, ethics and compliance, and diversity.  NextEra Energy is ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune’s 2022 list of “World’s Most Admired Companies” and recognized on Fortune’s 2021 list of companies that “Change the World.” 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 and a world leader in battery storage. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

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