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FPL Strengthens Power Lines Ahead Of Hurricane Season

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- It's probably the last thing you want to think about - preparing for hurricane season but most of us know the sooner we prepare the better off we are.

This is exactly the thinking of Florida Power and Light (FPL) as they continue the project to strengthen hundreds of main power lines.

"We're actually going to be installing today a 55 foot, 7,700 pound concrete pole lifting it up with the green and installing it in the ground right here," said Javier Palma with FPL.

What does this mean for you? First, a poll that can withstand 145 m.p.h. winds.

"It allows us to keep more of the lights on and, when the lights do go off, it lets us get the lights on and have a life return back to normal a lot quicker," said Palma.

Since 2006, FPL said they've invested more than $2.7 billion to strengthen its electric system.

Crews on Thursday worked on a main power line near Northeast 189th Street and Northeast 6th Avenue.

The public works department for the city of North Miami Beach said these type of improvements are important for keeping their constituents safe and happy.

"This kind of strengthening of the infrastructure is very good because what it does is that we know it's much more predictable in terms of whether or not you're going to have an outage and to what degree you're going to have it. This is good technology that they are employing and we're happy to be a part of it," said North Miami Beach City Manager Edmond Scott.

Besides improved service during and after a hurricane, FPL said every day reliability is improved by these upgrades.

Hurricane season starts June 1st and lasts through November 30th.

Click here to read more about getting ready for hurricane season. 

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