Hurricane could wipe out power for millions

Hurricane Dorian could cut power to millions of homes and businesses in Florida, and especially those in South Florida where it could make landfall. And FPL can’t say how long the power might be out.

“Hurricane Dorian is likely to affect a large portion of FPL’s service area,” said FPL spokesman David Reuter at a news conference Friday.

Flooding expected from the storm could delay some restoration, Reuter said. “We can’t get crews in until the water recedes.”

FPL also said it expects overgrown trees and vegetation blowing into power lines to be

the prime cause of power outages, as they were in 2017’s Hurricane Irma.

Storm surge and tornadoes during the storm also could damage FPL’s equipment. That could mean that the Juno Beach-based electric utility will eventually have to rebuild parts of its grid, he said.

To restore power after the storm subsides, FPL said Friday said it has about 16,000 workers ready: Nearly 9,000 are from Florida and 7,000 from out of state.

Reuter said it would be speculation to estimate the extent of potential outages from Hurricane Dorian. In major hurricanes over the past two decades, some customers have lost their power for weeks.

In 2005’s Hurricane Wilma, which was particularly damaging to Fort Lauderdale, 3.2 million customers lost power in the hurricane, according to an FPL report to the Florida Public Service Commission, which regulates the electric utility.

In Hurricane Irma in 2017, 90 percent of FPL’s customers, or 4.4 million homes and businesses, lost power, according to the report.

Even with an improved grid and additional help from out-of-state utilities, it took FPL 10 days to restore customers after Irma, which was a widespread storm in the state. But 50 percent of its customers were restored within one day, which FPL attributes to improving its grid, according to the report.

FPL has invested nearly $4 billion to make the grid stronger, smarter and more storm-resilient since 2006. The Florida Public Service Commission mandated certain improvements, such as replacement of rotted wood power poles, following multiple hurricanes in 2004 and 2005 that left customers out of power for weeks. Grid improvements have included installation of sturdier power poles, putting some critical utility lines underground, and adding “smart” devices to mitigate flooding, which can cause grid damage.

“With a storm of Dorian’s potential magnitude, we expect outages to occur, but these investments will help speed our restoration process,” said FPL CEO Eric Silagy in a statement.

Reuter said those on life-sustaining medical equipment could particularly be at risk amid an outage. “If you don’t have backup power, make plans to relocate now,” he said of those who need such equipment.

His comments were a nod to the 2017 Hollywood nursing home tragedy in Hurricane Irma, where 12 people died amid the sweltering conditions. The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills failed to evacuate. Four people recently were charged in the patient deaths.

After the storm, customers can go online at FPL.com/storm or download the FPL smartphone app to report downed power lines and get information on whether their power has been restored. After Hurricane Irma, FPL customers complained they couldn’t get accurate information about whether their lights were back on, but Reuter said that problem has been fixed.

Customers also can call FPL’s automated line, 1-800-4-OUTAGE (468-8243).

FPL restores electricity to any damaged power plants first, then to critical infrastructure as identified by local governments. Then it begins repairs in neighborhoods, focusing on how it can get the largest number of customers back up in the shortest amount of time.