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FPL: Significant Number Of Customers On State's East Coast Could Lose Power

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - As Hurricane Isaias edges closer to Florida's east coast, Florida Power and Light has prepositioned personnel up and down the state to begin power restoration once it is safe.

"As the first bands of Hurricane Isaias begin to impact Florida's east coast, we understand the anxiety many of our customers are feeling and want to reassure them that we're ready to respond during these unprecedented times," said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL.

FPL estimates a significant number of customers along the coast could lose power due to the storm so they have a restoration team of more than 10,000 ready to respond.

"While we're grateful that we have been able to secure this sizeable workforce to respond to Isaias, we expect that the additional safety precautions they must take may slow their progress," said Silagy. "Our commitment to our customers has not changed despite COVID-19: We will work around the clock and we won't stop until we get the lights back on for every single customer."

Areas of more extensive damage may be caused by high winds and possible tornadoes, resulting in excess vegetation and debris that are anticipated to cause restoration challenges, according to a statement from FPL.

The company said crews will 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.

Customers can download the FPL app for on-the-go, secure access to their accounts. Customers can report or get the latest information on an outage. 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).

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