FL Power Outages: See Map, Hardest Hit Areas, Restoration Estimates

Updated, 3:30 p.m. Sunday

FLORIDA — Strong winds from Hurricane Milton caused widespread power outages in western, central, and eastern Florida when the storm hit Wednesday night, knocking out electricity to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses.

Milton made landfall at Siesta Key in Sarasota County as a powerful Category 3 hurricane before leaving its footprint eastward across Florida. The deadly storm arrived two weeks after Hurricane Helene battered north Florida as a Category 4 system.

As of 3:30 p.m. Sunday, more than 828,000 Florida utility customers statewide were without power, down from 3.4 million on Thursday, according to PowerOutage.US.

Duke Energy officials estimated power would be restored to Flagler, Levy, Brevard, Citrus, Hernando, Highlands, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, Sumter and Volusia counties by 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Power in Pasco and Pinellas counties should be restored by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, the company said.

Currently, the following counties are still experiencing major outages:

• Hillsborough: 273,781
• Pinellas: 248,074
• Manatee: 59,561
• Sarasota: 50,940
• Volusia: 31,215
• Polk: 30,688
• Pasco: 33,021

At a Thursday news conference, Gov. Ron DeSantis called the number of power outages "massive" and compared the situation to previous hurricanes including Irma and Ian. Approximately 50,000 linemen were brought into the state from as far away as California, DeSantis said.

As of 9 a.m. Friday, Duke Energy said nearly 350,000 outages had been restored and more than 850,000 outages still exist throughout the company’s service territory.

“From downed trees and branches falling on our power lines to storm surge flooding our equipment – which causes almost immediate corrosion – our infrastructure was severely damaged by Hurricane Milton," said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm director. "We’re making repairs where we can, but we anticipate we will need to rebuild in many areas."

Ahead of the storm, Duke Energy mobilized more than 16,000 power line technicians and other workers and resources to respond to power outages. According to the company, workers will focus on restoring power to public health and safety facilities first while also considering how to restore the greatest number of customers as soon as possible.

Tampa Electric also mobilized more than 6,000 workers to help restore power after the storm, the company said on its website. Due to the extensive storm damage and debris, the company said restoration efforts may take days, "if not weeks" in some of the hardest-hit areas.

"As we complete damage assessment, we will be able to provide a timeframe in which we expect to restore power to the majority of customers who can safely receive it," Tampa Electric said on their website.

Power Outage Map

If you want to know how many areas are without power or need updates on restoration, click Florida on the map section of PowerOutage.US, and click on the county where you live for its outage report. This site lists the most recent reported outages along with each electric provider in the state.

How To Report Power Outages

Duke Energy

• Visit duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile device.
• Use the Duke Energy mobile app – Download the Duke Energy App from a smartphone via Apple Store or Google Play.
• Text OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply).
• Call the automated outage-reporting system, at: 800.228.8485.

There is also an interactive outage map where customers can find up-to-date information on power outages, including the total number of outages systemwide and estimated times of restoration.

Florida Power & Light

• To report an outage by phone, call 1-800-4-OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243).
• To report an outage online visit the company's website.
• To check on the status of an outage, visit the company's outage map online.

Tampa Electric

• Report outages using this outage map or by texting OUT to 27079.
• Immediately report downed power lines by calling 877-588-1010. If you smell the rotten-egg odor of natural gas or see a broken natural gas line, move to safety and call 911.

Power Outage Safety

During power outages, customers should follow these safety measures:

• Do not walk, swim or drive through floodwaters.
• If rising water threatens your home or business – or if you evacuate due to flooding – turn off your power at the circuit breaker panel or fuse box.
• Never replace a fuse or touch a circuit breaker with wet hands or while standing on a wet or damp surface.
• If your home or business is flooded, Duke Energy cannot reconnect power until the electrical system has been inspected by a licensed electrician. If there is damage, an electrician will need to make necessary repairs and obtain verification from your local building inspection authority before power can be restored.
• Stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging. Consider all lines energized, as well as trees or limbs in contact with lines.
• If a power line falls across a car that you’re in, stay in the car. If you must get out of the car due to a fire or other immediate life-threatening situation, do your best to jump clear of the car and land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground.
• Electric current passes easily through water, so stay away from downed power lines and electrical wires. Don't drive over – and don't stand near – downed power lines. Downed lines will be hard to see in the rain and can potentially be hidden in standing water. If you encounter large pools of standing water, stop, back up and choose another path.

Generators

If you are using a portable generator for backup power, be sure to use it properly.

Don't:

• Place a running generator inside your home or garage. Keep it at least 15 feet from any enclosed structure. The odorless carbon monoxide exhaust fumes are deadly.
• Store fuel in your home, or in your garage near potentially combustible appliances such as a furnace or water heater.
• Connect a generator directly to your home's electrical box. It can create a fire hazard, and might energize area power lines that utility workers assume are not "live."
• Run a generator in rain or damp conditions. If the electrical panel gets wet, it could cause electrical shock or damage the machine.
• Refuel a generator while it's running. Fuel spilled on a hot motor can spark an explosion or fire.

Do:

• Make sure you have plenty of fresh fuel to power your generator. If the machine runs on gasoline, figure on up to 21 gallons a day if you want to operate it around the clock.
• Check the oil.
• Make sure the combined wattage of the devices you plan to power does not exceed the generator's capacity.
• Use heavy-duty, properly grounded extension cords.