JUNO BEACH, Fla. – Having restored power to more than 2 million customers affected by Hurricane Ian, Florida Power & Light Company is on track to essentially complete its massive restoration effort by the end of today.

The company remains squarely focused on restoring power to the approximately 31,000 customers who remain without service as of 4 p.m., so long as they are able to safely accept power following Hurricane Ian’s 150 mph winds, unprecedented storm surge and significant flooding.

The majority of remaining outages entering Friday were in the areas that took the brunt of Ian’s high-end Category 4 lashing. Extensive tree damage and significant flooding in Southwest Florida have hampered restoration efforts in the week since Ian exited Florida after ravaging the state for 72 hours. However, FPL’s restoration workforce, which includes mutual assistance from across the United States, has steadily made progress as it has worked methodically, neighborhood by neighborhood, to restore service.

“While 99% of FPL customers affected by Hurricane Ian have been restored, that’s little consolation to the communities still suffering the catastrophic impacts of the storm,” said FPL Chairman and CEO Eric Silagy. “We refuse to lose focus and are as committed as ever to working as hard as we can and as fast as we can to safely get the lights back on for customers who can safely receive power. In many instances, crews are working in backyards and battling significant damage to gain access to power lines and equipment that serve only a handful of customers. We will not stop until every customer has access to power.”

Because of FPL’s investments in hardening its power generation plants and transmission system, the first few days of power restoration after Hurricane Ian resulted in large numbers of customers being restored quickly when FPL reenergized electrical substations and main power lines serving thousands 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, in some instances, 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.  

Damage to customer-owned equipment

While FPL expects restoration to be essentially complete in Southwest Florida by tonight 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 the hardest-hit areas, FPL is conducting its restoration work in concert with emergency officials, when it is safe to do so. Sometimes, at the request of government officials, FPL must de-energize certain areas or neighborhoods because conditions are considered unsafe. Once government officials certify the area or neighborhood is safe to receive power from FPL, the company will restore service. Some customers may also need to contact a licensed electrician to repair damaged, customer-owned electrical equipment like meter enclosures and weatherheads in order to safely receive power.

FPL is making financial assistance available through its FPL Care to Share® program for eligible customers who need repairs on damaged meter enclosures and weatherheads 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 weatherheads 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 Repair Assistance section. Customers who want to support hurricane victims can also visit FPL.com/help to contribute to Care to Share.

FPL to assist Lee County Electric Cooperative

With substantial restoration work completed, FPL has reassessed the number and type of workers needed to complete the remaining jobs. As is typically the case during this point of a restoration, mutual assistance crews will begin to be released as crews converge into the hardest-hit areas where smaller numbers of customers remain without service. This rightsizing of the workforce is deliberate and ensures that the crews that remain are well-positioned to continue making progress safely and as quickly possible.

To that end, FPL is preparing to release a restoration workforce of 200 men and women today to support Lee County Electric Cooperative’s (LCEC) restoration efforts. In addition to sending workers, FPL is assisting LCEC with more than 500 poles and other critical electrical equipment. The company is also providing logistics support and helping LCEC coordinate a barge to transport bucket trucks to Sanibel Island and Pine Island to begin restoring power to areas that remain inaccessible by road.

“Mutual assistance is a hallmark of the electric industry and we are always ready to lend a helping hand, just as we’ve received support during this storm from men and women representing 30 states,” Silagy said. “Now that we have a clear path to finishing our restoration effort, FPL is able to support Lee County Electric Cooperative with its restoration. Simply put, this is about doing what’s best for our fellow Floridians and being part of Team Florida.”

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.  

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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