FL Power Outages Down To 500K, Safety Tips: Hurricane Helene Aftermath

FLORIDA — Strong winds from Hurricane Helene — which dropped to tropical storm status early Friday morning as it moved inland — have caused widespread power outages in western and northern Florida, knocking out electricity to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses.

Helene made landfall as an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 hurricane with 140 mph winds in Florida’s Big Bend area Thursday about 11:10 p.m., according to the National Hurricane Center. Helene brought record storm surge to much of the state’s west coast and Big Bend area, flooding and destroying countless homes.

By Friday morning it was downgraded to a tropical storm, with sustained winds of 60 mph.

As of 11:10 p.m. Friday, there were 515,362 Florida utility customers statewide without power, with more than 139,446 customers in Pinellas County offline, according to PowerOutage.US. That was an improvement over late Thursday night, when about 1.1 million Florida customers were without power.

Other counties with major outage numbers are:

• Alachua: 40,525
• Leon: 20,831
• Pasco: 13,507
• Hillsborough: 24,758
• Sarasota: 15,150
• Manatee: 27,185
• Suwannee: 21,024
• Citrus: 9,680
• Levy: 15,774
• Taylor: 13,969

“Our crews worked through the night to assess the immense damage caused by Hurricane Helene and get the lights back on where conditions allowed,” said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm director. “We’ve made significant progress over the last 24 hours, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us. We thank our customers for their patience, support and ongoing commitment to safety.”

• RELATED: At Least 35 Dead In 4 States, Hundreds Of FL Rescues: Hurricane Helene

Ahead of the storm, Duke Energy mobilized more than 8,000 power line technicians and other workers to respond to power outages. By 7:30 a.m. Friday, workers had restored power to nearly 198,000 customers.

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.

Here's what residents can do to prepare for and cope with power outages:

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:

• Start and briefly run your machine a few times during the year to ensure it is ready when you need it.
• 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 devices you plan to power does not exceed the generator's capacity.
• Use heavy-duty, properly grounded extension cords.
• Hire a qualified technician to install a transfer switch if you want to connect an emergency generator to your home's main electrical system.

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.
• Sometimes when electric power crews are responding to outages, they will need to turn off nearby power lines or an entire power line that may have not been affected by storm or hurricane weather for safety reasons, Duke Energy said.
• If you have medical issues that require assistance from a health device that is powered by electricity, make sure to have an alternate location that will have electricity, or make sure to have power backups, the utility said.

Reporting An Outage

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.

Backup Batteries

• Have a portable battery charger or multiple portable battery chargers for your laptop, cell phone and other electronics. Make sure the portable battery is fully charged before power outages occur.

Other Ways To Prepare:

• Take an inventory of the items you need that rely on electricity.
• Talk to your medical provider about a power outage plan for medical devices powered by electricity and refrigerated medicines. Find out how long medication can be stored at higher temperatures and get specific guidance for any medications that are critical for life.
• Review the supplies that are available in case of a power outage. Have flashlights with extra batteries for every household member. Have enough nonperishable food and water.
• Sign up for weather alerts from your nearby local weather provider, and follow hurricane tracking by the National Hurricane Center or your local emergency operations center.