Storm Recovery:
Florida Power & Light has restored service to more than 95% of the 435,000 customers who lost power at the height of Hurricane Isaias, and J.T. Young, the utility’s vice president and general manager for Northwest Florida, says the rest of the Pensacola area should be back on soon.
- Speaking this morning at Mayor D.C. Reeves’ press conference, Young said customers still out since the storm hit Friday night should be reconnected today, no later than tonight. Anyone who reported an outage after about 8 p.m. Tuesday may have to wait until tomorrow, because FPL is prioritizing the customers who have been out the longest.
What to know right now
- Still out since the storm? FPL expects to restore you today, no later than tonight.
- Damaged meter or home? FPL’s Care to Share program offers up to $2,000 in repair help at fpl.com/assistance.
- Need food, water or ice? Relief site locations are at fplmaps.com/reliefsites.
- Meals today: 4 p.m. at the Rafferty Center, 1301 West Gregory Street in Pensacola. First come, first served, at least 400 meals.
Where the work remains
Young said the toughest spots are where trees came down. In Pensacola, that means the East Hill area and the neighborhoods around Fairfield Drive and south. He said he was there just minutes before the press conference and that many crews are working the area.
- Some customers who got power back have lost it again. Young said new tree limbs may have fallen since the first restoration, and crews switching lines to bring other neighborhoods online can cause momentary blips. Some homes and businesses also can’t take power because of damage. If a meter was pulled off the house, a licensed electrician has to fix it before FPL can reconnect the line.
“If you’re in that 5%, please know that we’re working diligently to get you back on today.”
The missed deadline
A reporter pressed Young on why FPL first said 95% of customers would be restored by Monday evening, only to push that back. Young said that was the initial assessment. After nearly 500 drone flights and a deeper review Sunday night, FPL issued a release Monday morning moving the 95% target to Tuesday evening. Monday night, the company was at about 85%.
FPL met the revised goal. By Tuesday night, Escambia and Santa Rosa counties were at 94% to 96%, though Young cautioned that did not mean every block was at 95%.
Young acknowledged that some people never saw the updated timeline and still expected power Monday night.
“We missed the Monday night number. Some people didn’t hear us when we adjusted the Monday night number… And my apologies for that. I take responsibility for that.”
Why we got hammered
Locals have long said the west side of a hurricane is the best side. I asked Young why this storm broke that rule, since FPL pulled crews from Okaloosa and Walton counties, where the storm hit, to help in Escambia and Santa Rosa.
Young pointed to what meteorologists are calling a sting jet, a burst of very high wind on the west side of the storm that was dry but powerful.
- He said FPL had never seen anything like it. Crews were pre-positioned for a typical storm, in which the northeast quadrant is the worst. The surprise on the west side, he said, is a big reason FPL can’t declare 100% restoration yet. He added that the storm also lacked the surge Pensacola usually sees.
Crews are staying
FPL has moved crews from the eastern Panhandle, including the Fort Walton Beach and Panama City areas, into Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Many are staged at Five Flags Speedway and at the fairgrounds, and Young said they will remain through the end of the week.
- The reason is the forecast. Windy weather is on the way, and many storm repairs are temporary until permanent fixes can be made. FPL wants crews on hand if the wind causes new outages.
The Ivan comparison. Young, a Pensacola native, reminded the crowd that it took about 13 days to restore power after Hurricane Ivan in 2004. “We do not stop until everyone’s back,” he said.