FPL has restored more than 90% of customers affected by Tropical Storm Eta
- Nearly 300,000 customers restored as 3 p.m.; 39,000 customers remain without power as of 3 p.m.
- Restoration workforce is 12,000 strong from 21 states
- Crews continue to work around the clock to restore outages
- Smart grid technology has helped avoid nearly 50,000 outages and speed restoration
- FPL urges customers to be safe, avoid downed power lines and standing water
November 9, 2020

JUNO BEACH, Fla. – Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) today announced that as of 3 p.m., it has restored power to more than 90% of customers – or nearly 300,000 customers – affected by Tropical Storm Eta.

“Our restoration workforce of 12,000 worked all night in between bands of severe weather to restore service and won’t stop working until every last customer is restored,” said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL. “We experienced the worst effects of the storm last night and early this morning. Eta has cleared the region and our crews are now working neighborhood to neighborhood to get the lights back on for our customers. We’re also seeing some areas that are severely flooded and it will take longer to restore those outages.”

Tropical storm-force winds currently extend 310 miles from the center of the storm and will continue to affect the southern end of the peninsula for several days. In areas impacted by flooding, crews must wait for the flood waters to recede before they are able to access equipment and restore power. Falling trees and flying debris are the primary cause of outages.

“Initial reports show that our smart grid technology has helped us avoid nearly 50,000 outages and helped crews restore power faster,” said Silagy. “This is the result of the improvements we’ve made to build a stronger and smarter grid to make it even better for our customers and provide them with reliable service they can count on in good weather and bad.”

This has been a historic hurricane season as mutual assistance crews have worked multiple natural disasters throughout the country. Tyler Barry, a lineworker with FPL sister company Gulf Power since 2014, is among those providing mutual assistance for Eta and is part of our restoration team of 12,000. He also traveled to Louisiana to assist after Hurricane Laura in August.

“The Gulf Power territory has been affected by multiple storms this season,” said Barry. “When we were hit with Hurricane Sally, it was a huge relief to have our colleagues from FPL come help support the restoration. It would have been just about impossible if we didn’t have other utilities come to help. So, we are happy to repay the favor and come help support our sister company and its customers."

Customers should continue to heed warnings of local and state officials. Please keep safety top of mind. Don’t venture out in the dark, because you might not see a downed power line that could be energized and dangerous. Also, avoid standing water and debris.

Keeping you informed
In the wake of severe weather, we know you need as much information as possible so you can make decisions for you and your family. Every storm is different, but our goal is to get you accurate information as soon as it is available. Our restoration is following the path of the storm, and we will continue to be out in force assessing and restoring service as long as conditions are safe. We pledge to communicate increasingly specific information as soon as we are able. 

We will share the best, most up-to-date information we have as quickly as possible through traditional media, social media, FPL.com and the FPL Mobile App. 

Responding to COVID-19 
In response to the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, our plan includes many precautionary measures for the safety of our customers and our restoration workforce. This includes daily health screenings for restoration personnel and adjusting the layout of staging sites where large numbers of restoration workers gather to allow for as much social distancing as possible and adding more micro-staging sites.   

What we’re doing
At FPL, we’re working to restore outages caused by Eta:

  • We have a workforce of 12,000 dedicated to restoring power from 21 states and as far away as Texas.
  • We have reallocated additional resources within the company to help speed the restoration effort. 
  • We have more than 80 drone teams to help survey damage and speed restoration.
  • We currently have more than 30 staging and logistics sites throughout our service area to speed restoration.  
  • We are coordinating our response with county and state emergency operations centers.  

What you can do

  • Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, if customers see our crews at work, please remember to maintain proper social distancing.
  • When driving please clear the way for FPL trucks so that crews can get to their next work site faster.
  • Avoid stopping crews to ask when power will be restored.
  • Treat any traffic lights that are out as a four-way stop.
  • Heed warnings and evacuation orders by local, state and federal elected officials.

Additional resources  

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

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Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the largest energy company in the United States as measured by retail electricity produced and sold, serving more than 5.1 million customer accounts or an estimated 10 million+ people across the state of Florida. FPL’s typical 1,000-kWh residential customer bill is approximately 30% lower than the latest national average and among the lowest in the U.S. FPL’s service reliability is better than 99.98%, and its highly fuel-efficient power plant fleet is one of the cleanest among all electric companies nationwide. The company was recognized in 2020 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities by Escalent for the seventh consecutive year. A leading Florida employer with approximately 8,900 employees, 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, ethics and diversity, and has been ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune’s 2020 list of “World’s Most Admired Companies.” NextEra Energy is also the parent company of Gulf Power Company, which serves approximately 470,000 customers in eight counties throughout northwest Florida, and 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.GulfPower.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com

 

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