Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
FPL warns of extensive damage from power outages.
The threat of extensive power outages and damage in South Florida increased Sunday as the region is on the left edge of the cone of uncertainty for Hurricane Dorian, now a Category 5.
“There remains a 50% chance this storm could still make landfall on the eastern seaboard of Florida,” said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of Juno Beachbased Florida Power & Light Co. said at a news conference Sunday.
“Don’t take any chances,” Silagy said, telling residents to make their final preparations for the dangerous storm on Sunday. “Don’t get fixated on the storm track … People need to be prepared if the storm shifts a little bit west.”
He said a Category 5 hurricane’s effects can be vastly different within 50 to 60 miles.
“It’s very important to respect Mother Nature. I think it’s foolish to rely on just an estimate from a track in a storm of this magnitude.”
Silagy said if there’s an evacuation order for your area, “take it seriously and heed that warning.”
If his family was near Florida’s eastern coast, Silagy said, he would evacuate. With Hurricane Dorian approaching Florida now, “go to the west coast of Florida and southwest,” he said.
“With a storm this size, we’re going to see tropical-force winds, potential hurricaneforce winds, and there will be power outages,” Silagy said, adding the FPL expects widespread outages from fallen trees and flying debris, as happened in 2017’s Hurricane Irma.
The Juno Beach-based electric utility, which provides power to half the state — or 5 million homes and businesses — has positioned 16,000 utility workers to start restoring power as soon as winds die down to 35 mph or under.
But flooding could delay some restoration, he said.
Silagy said FPL will proactively turn off some “smart” switches on its grid that are on the coast or underwater to keep from damaging equipment. South Florida residents may see their power come on and potentially go off again.
Those who have evacuated can check to see whether power to their homes or businesses has been restored on FPL’s app, which will have real-time information. But don’t expect that information right away, as it takes time for FPL to check for damage.