Workforce of approximately 10,000 has already restored power to more than 50,000 customers affected by Eta; Worst effects of the storm to come later tonight and tomorrow morning; Crews continue to respond to outages as they occur; restoration will follow the path of the storm as it clears each region; FPL urges customers to be safe, avoid downed power lines and standing water; Download the FPL app by texting the word “App” to MyFPL (69375) or enroll in alerts by texting the word “Join” to MyFPL (69375)

(Black PR Wire) JUNO BEACH, Fla. – Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) today announced that as of 12 p.m., it has restored power to more than 50,000 customers since the first impacts of Tropical Storm Eta late yesterday, and outages continue to occur as we feel the effects of the storm. Severe weather bands are affecting areas throughout the southern peninsula and will cause additional outages over the next several days. 

“Our restoration team worked throughout the night to restore outages, and they continue to work in between bands of severe weather, as conditions allow, to restore outages caused by Eta,” said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL. “This tropical storm is a powerful force of nature that should not be taken lightly, and it will continue to affect parts of our service area for several days. Eta is bringing strong wind gusts, heavy rain, flooding and possible tornadoes, which could create restoration challenges and longer outages. In some parts of our area, the ground is already saturated with water causing trees to more easily uproot and topple over into power lines. In fact, we’ve already seen outages caused by falling trees and vegetation. Rest assured, our crews won’t stop working until everyone’s lights are back on.”

In areas impacted by flooding, crews must wait for the flood waters to recede before they are able to access equipment and restore power. Following severe weather, crews must cut away trees and other vegetation that have fallen into power lines, or that are in the way, to find and fix damage safely and as quickly as possible. Due to the extended nature of Eta, customers may experience more than one outage as weather bands move across the peninsula over the next several days. Crews will work continuously, as long as winds are below 35 MPH and conditions are safe.

We have prepositioned crews and resources across our service area so we can respond to outages as they occur. This work begins before the storm’s outer bands impact the state. FPL Warehouse Supervisor Jason Mills, who has been with the company for more than 20 years, works to ensure we have enough supplies to respond to a storm.

“My job is to make sure that we have the right equipment in the right places to get power back on safely and as quickly as possible,” said Mills. “We’ve been working for days to ensure we are prepared and ready to respond when our customers need us the most.”

Customers should continue to heed warnings of local and state officials. Please keep safety top of mind. Don’t venture out in the dark, because you might not see a downed power line that could be energized and dangerous. Also, avoid standing water and debris.

Tropical storm-force winds currently extend 125 miles from the center of the storm and will affect parts of our service area over the next several days. This dangerous and deadly storm has already torn a path of destruction across Central America and the Caribbean.

“Our hearts go out to those affected by Eta’s devastation in Central America and to those currently being affected in the Caribbean,” said Silagy. “It is heartbreaking to see the damage caused by heavy rains turning roads into rivers and setting off deadly mudslides throughout Central America. This is a somber reminder of the power of Mother Nature's fury and that we cannot become complacent despite this late-season storm.”

Keeping you informed 
In the wake of severe weather, we know you need as much information as possible so you can make decisions for you and your family. Every storm is different, but our goal is to get you accurate information as soon as it is available. As Eta approaches Florida's coast and affects our service area over several days, our restoration will follow the path of the storm as it clears each region. We will be out in force assessing damage and restoring service. We must get a solid assessment of the full extent of the damage before we can provide estimates of when power will be restored. We pledge to communicate increasingly specific information as soon as we are able. 

We will share the best, most up-to-date information we have as quickly as possible through traditional media, social media, FPL.com and the FPL app. 

Responding to COVID-19 
In response to the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, our plan includes many precautionary measures for the safety of our customers and our restoration workforce. This includes daily health screenings for restoration personnel and adjusting the layout of staging sites where large numbers of restoration workers gather to allow for as much social distancing as possible and adding more micro-staging sites.   

What we’re doing
At FPL, we’re finalizing preparations for the impact of Eta:

• We have a workforce of 10,000 dedicated to restoring power from 22 states and as far away as Texas.
• We have reallocated additional resources within the company to help speed the restoration effort. 
• We have 100 drone teams to help survey damage and speed restoration.
• We currently have more than 30 staging and logistics sites throughout our service area to speed restoration, including the Metro Zoo in Miami, Sarasota Fairgrounds, Collier County Fairgrounds and Daytona International Speedway.
• We are coordinating our response with county and state emergency operations centers. 

What you can do

• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, if customers see our crews at work, please remember to maintain proper social distancing.
• When driving please clear the way for FPL trucks so that crews can get to their next work site faster.
• Avoid stopping crews to ask when power will be restored.
• Heed warnings and evacuation orders by local, state and federal elected officials.

Additional resources  

• How FPL restores power
• Stay safe before a storm
• Please stay safe after the storm
• How to recognize FPL workers

Customers can download the FPL app for on-the-go, instant and secure access to their accounts. Customers can report or get the latest information on an outage and can also report a downed power line through the FPL app. The app is available for download in the iOS App Store and Google Play. To quickly download the FPL app, text the word “App” to MyFPL (69375). Customers also can sign up for storm updates by texting the word “Join” to MyFPL (69375).  

How to stay informed
FPL communicates restoration information to customers frequently through the news media and the following resources:   

• FPL website: com
• Twitter: com/insideFPL
• Facebook: com/FPLconnect
• FPL blog: com
• FPL Power Tracker: com/powertracker
• FPL app: Download from the App Store or Google Play, or text the word “App” to MyFPL (69375)  

###

Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the largest energy company in the United States as measured by retail electricity produced and sold, serving more than 5.1 million customer accounts or an estimated 10 million+ people across the state of Florida. FPL’s typical 1,000-kWh residential customer bill is approximately 30% lower than the latest national average and among the lowest in the U.S. FPL’s service reliability is better than 99.98%, and its highly fuel-efficient power plant fleet is one of the cleanest among all electric companies nationwide. The company was recognized in 2020 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities by Escalent for the seventh consecutive year. A leading Florida employer with approximately 8,900 employees, FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, ethics and diversity, and has been ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune’s 2020 list of “World’s Most Admired Companies.” NextEra Energy is also the parent company of Gulf Power Company, which serves approximately 470,000 customers in eight counties throughout northwest Florida, and NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.GulfPower.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com