The latest: Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) continues restoring power for customers after Hurricane Helene battered the state as a powerful Category 4 storm. The large storm brought severe weather to most of the state and caused widespread outages before making landfall overnight. Crews have already restored power to more than 65% of customers affected by Helene, yet its devastating winds, heavy rainfall, significant flooding and dangerous storm surge have created restoration challenges in impacted areas.
Why it matters: Hurricane Helene impacted millions of Floridians as it approached and made landfall in the state and left hundreds of thousands of FPL customers without power. FPL is committed to restoring power and getting life back to normal for all customers safely and as quickly possible.
By the numbers as of 6:00 a.m.:
- More than 460,000 customers restored.
- Approximately 214,000 customers without power.
- Restoration workforce of more than 10,000 men and women from 23 states.
- 14 staging and parking sites.
A word from FPL President and CEO Armando Pimentel: “Though our system held up well and our team of thousands continues to work around-the-clock, some of our customers remain without power. To them, we have a simple message: We will not stop until your lights are back on.”
What FPL is doing:
- Restoring power as part of its around-the-clock restoration efforts.
- Continuing to assess damage, including using drones to speed restoration.
- Coordinating with local emergency management officials to clear roads for lineworkers.
- Working to provide estimated times of restoration for customers. More information will be provided later today.
What customers should do after the storm:
- Safety is FPL’s top priority for its crews and customers. Even when the winds subside, conditions can be dangerous. Customers should continue to heed warnings from local emergency officials.
- Stay far away from downed power lines, flooding and debris; assume that lines are energized.
- Use extreme caution while 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.
- If you are using a portable generator, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for proper use. Never operate a generator inside your home or garage.
- Immediately after a storm, FPL knows where power is out, so there is no need to contact FPL.
- If customers encounter dangerous situations such as downed power lines or sparking electrical equipment, they should call 911 or 1-800-4-OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243).
How customers can stay connected:
FPL communicates restoration information to customers frequently through the news media and the following resources:
- FPL website: FPL.com
- X: X.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)
Visuals to download:
How to reach us:
- 561-694-4442
- Media.relations@fpl.com
- @FPL_Newsroom
Additional resources:
FPL is actively restoring power to impacted customers as Helene affects the state. FPL has mobilized a restoration workforce of thousands, with crews actively restoring power when it is safe to do so.
FPL is ready to respond as Helene approaches the state. FPL has assembled a restoration workforce of thousands and is pre-positioning crews, equipment and supplies to restore power safely and as quickly as possible.
As Tropical Storm Helene moves toward the Florida coast, FPL is mobilizing a restoration workforce of thousands and finalizing preparations to restore electric service as quickly as possible.