A day after Hurricane Milton tore across the state, nearly 3 million customers are still in the dark. But massive efforts by 50,000 utility workers are under way to get repairs done and power back on, Gov. Ron DeSantis said.
"So as of the 3 p.m. update, we've got 3.2 million that are without power," DeSantis said in a Thursday afternoon press conference. "Since the storm hit, 880,000 have been restored."
As of 8:30 Friday morning, there are 2.8 million customers without power in a wide band across the Florida peninsula, according to USA TODAY's power outage tracker. There are over 50,000 linemen in the state working to restore service, DeSantis said.
"So we feel very confident that those folks are working very hard, and you're going to see some good stuff here in the ensuing time period," he said.
Hardee, Highlands and DeSoto counties are nearly completely out, according to USA TODAY data. Hillsborough, Manatee and Pinellas are roughly 75% down and Sarasota, Volusia, Flagler, Pasco and Lake are around 50% dark.
Power outages in Florida
How soon will power be restored?
“We are ready to respond and restore power as quickly as possible," Florida Power & Light President and CEOArmando Pimentel said in a releaseprior to the storm. "We will not stop until every single customer has power.”
Duke Energy Florida announcedearlier this week the company was mobilizing about 10,000 responders, including crews from Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana, as it prepared for an expected 1 million power outages. As of Thursday morning,approximately 850,000 Duke Energy power outageshad been reported, according to a release.
Restoration could face problems left over from the last storm, and loosened dirt and flooding could take out more power lines long after Milton has passed.
"Heavy rain across the state over the last few weeks has saturated the ground ahead of Milton’s projected landfall," FPL said. "This makes trees and other vegetation susceptible to falling and damaging powerlines — even in areas forecast to get little to no wind from the storm. This will magnify Milton’s impact, particularly in places that still have wet conditions and storm debris from Hurricane Helene."
Why isn't my power on yet?
Power restoration is prioritized to restore power to the largest number of customers as quickly as possible. According to FPL,priorities are given to:
- Power plants and damaged lines and substations.
- Critical facilities such as hospitals, police and fire stations, communication facilities, water treatment plants and transportation providers.
- Major thoroughfares with supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations and other needed community services.
- Smaller groups and local areas.
You may be on a different line than your neighbors, even if they're across the street. There may be other complications with your line that require more or specialized work and crews may focus first on getting the easiest ones back up. Your power company should be able to provide you with an estimate for when you can expect restoration.
If your home has sustained damage to the property's meter base, breaker panel or interior electrical wiring that would make it unsafe to restore power, you'll have to have that taken care of and possibly inspected before power can be turned back on.
If that is the case, contact your local municipality for guidance. Inspections may be required after repairs are complete.
How to stay safe after the storm
- Do not walk, swim or drive through floodwaters. There's no way to tell if a loose power line could be in there. Back up and pick another path.
- If rising floodwaters threaten your home or business, or if you are forced to evacuate, turn off your power at the circuit breaker panel or fuse box.
- Stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging. Assume any power line you see is active.
- Report downed lines to 911 and your local power company and stay at least 35 feet away from them and anything they are touching.
- If a power line falls across a vehicle while you're in it, stay in it and call for help. If you have to get out due to fire or flooding, jump out and land with both feet, making sure you do not touch the car and the ground at the same time.
- Never touch a circuit breaker or replace a fuse while standing on a wet surface. If a circuit breaker has been tripped, contact an electrician to inspect it before turning it on.
- Don't use any electrical equipment or electronics that have been submerged. Have a qualified electrical inspector check the electrical system.
How do I report or check on power outages?
Check your utility bill for contact information. Some common power companies in Florida are:
- Beaches Energy: Call 904-247-6241.
- Central Florida Electric Cooperative: Call (800) 227-1302,report onlineor through the CFEC Power Partner app, Check theoutages map here.
- Clay Electric Cooperative: Call 1-888-434-9844. Checkoutages map.
- Duke Energy: Clickhere,use the appor call800-228-8485, checkoutages map
- Florida Power & Light: Report itonlineorthrough the app, or check your utility bill for your local number. Check theoutages map.
- Fort Pierce Utilities Authority: Call (772) 466-7703.
- Jackson Energy Authority: Call 731-422-7500 orreport online. Checkoutages map.
- Lakeland Electric:Call (863) 834-4248,report onlineor check theoutages map
- New Smyrna Beach Utilities: Call 386-427-1361,report onlineor check theoutages map
- Orlando Utilities Commission: Call 407-423-9018, text OUT to 69682, orlog in to report online. Check theoutages map.
- Peace River Electric Cooperative: Call 800-282-3824, reportonline or through the app, or text PRECO to 800-282-3824. Checkoutage map.
- City of Tallahassee: call850-891-4968or 711 (TDD), report online atTalgov.com/Outagesor use theDigiTallymobile app
- SECO Energy: Call (352) 793 -3801 orreport online. Checkoutage map.
- Talquin Electric:Sign up here for text notification and outage reporting via text, checkoutages alerts
- TECO Energy Tampa Electric: Call (813) 223-0800 or 1-888-223-0800 orlog into your account. Checkoutages map.
- West Florida Electric: Call 1-844-688-2431 or text 1-800-342-7400. Checkoutages map.
- Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative: Call 352-567-5133, reportonlineor through theapp.
