The latest: FPL has essentially completed restoration in Southwest Florida and continues to restore power in the hardest-hit areas of North Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia. As of 8 a.m., FPL’s round-the-clock effort has restored power to more than 190,000 customers while its smart grid technology has helped to avoid nearly 50,000 outages during the storm.

Why it matters: While Idalia has exited the state, customers should remain vigilant of potentially dangerous conditions, including trees toppled by the hurricane’s destructive winds. FPL is conducting damage assessments and continues to restore power safely and as quickly as possible.

By the numbers:

• More than 190,000 customers restored as of 8 a.m.
• Approximately 9,000 customers without power as of 8 a.m.
• Nearly 50,000 outages avoided due to smart grid technology

What FPL is doing:

• FPL continues to actively restore power in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia and won’t stop working until the last customer is restored.
• Damage assessment teams are providing visuals of the damage in the hardest-hit areas of North Florida – closest to Idalia’s direct path – to get the right crews and the right equipment to the right places.

Restoration estimates: FPL understands customers want to know when power will be restored. The company is committed to providing the best estimates to customers as soon as this important information is available.

• In Southwest Florida, restoration is essentially complete, with the exception of areas impacted by flooding.
• In North Florida, FPL continues to work around the clock to restore power. Some customers in this region with significant tree damage may need to wait for specialized crews to remove vegetation before FPL can safely restore service.
  • FPL continued to work overnight to restore power and restoration is now essentially complete in Baker, Bradford, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns and Union counties. FPL expects to have power restored to 95% of the customers who can safely receive power in Clay County by noon today.
  • Closer to where Idalia’s eye made direct impact and FPL is contending with significant tree damage, FPL expects to have power restored to 95% of customers who can safely receive service in Columbia and Suwannee counties by the end of tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 1.

What customers should do after the storm:

• Safety is FPL’s top priority for its crews and customers. Even when winds subside, conditions can still be dangerous. Customers should continue to heed warnings from local emergency officials.
• Stay far away from downed power lines, flooding and debris; assume any downed line is energized and call 911 and 1-800-4-OUTAGE to report it.
• Keep roads clear for restoration workers.
• If customers must drive, they should use extreme caution. Power interruptions may cause traffic signals to stop working without warning. Florida law requires motorists to treat intersections with non-working traffic signals as a four-way stop.
• If using a portable generator, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for proper use. Never operate a generator inside your home or garage.

A word from FPL President and CEO Armando Pimentel:

“We continue to work day and night to restore power safely and as quickly as possible to our customers affected by Hurricane Idalia’s destructive path across Florida. As power and a sense of normalcy are restored, we remind everyone to stay alert and safe and to avoid any hazardous conditions.”

How FPL communicates during a storm:

• 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)   

How to reach us:

• 561-694-4442
• Media.relations@fpl.com
• @FPL_Newsroom