‘Make a new plan, Stan’ – Fifty ways to be hurricane-ready
It’s official: June 1 marked the start of the six-month Atlantic hurricane season. Following one of the most active hurricane seasons on record in Florida, Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) is continuing its year-round preparations for hurricanes and severe weather and encourages all Floridians to have their plans ready.
What FPL is doing: Investing in and enhancing the electric grid, while also training teams throughout the state, ensures FPL is ready for the 2025 hurricane season. This includes:
Hardening the electric system with resilient designs – such as steel, concrete and reinforced wooden power poles.
Undergrounding power lines in select neighborhoods with the Storm Secure Underground Program, which targets areas based on reliability and power outage data to improve resiliency systemwide, while also improving efficiency during storm restoration.
Installing smart grid technology, such as smart switches, that help customers avoid outages altogether and helps FPL restore power faster following hurricanes and severe weather.
Maintaining trees and other vegetation around thousands of miles of power lines, including leveraging “smart trimming technology” that helps FPL efficiently manage vegetation around electrical equipment, reducing a leading cause of outages.
Completing FPL’s annual storm drill. This puts thousands of employees around the state through a simulated hurricane scenario to test and refine current processes, enhancing efficiency and preparing them to restore power quickly following hurricanes and severe weather.
What Floridians can do now: Preparation is key. Having a plan ready before a storm is on Florida’s doorstep will ensure residents can make the best decisions for themselves and their families. Some ways they can start crafting their plans includes:
If you’re planning to use a generator this hurricane season, now is the time to read the instruction manual to ensure you have a complete understanding of how to operate it safely during a potential outage.
Check radios, flashlights, batteries and phone chargers to be prepared for potential power outages during hurricane season.
Have a plan ready – including evacuation or backup generation – for any family members who rely on medically necessary devices that require electricity.
Make safety a part of your plan: Stay far away from and do not touch any downed power lines or flooded and debris-laden areas that may be hiding downed power lines. Call 911 and 1-800-4-OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243) if you see downed power lines or damaged electrical equipment.
Bookmark FPL.com, download the FPL Mobile App and save 1-800-4-OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243) to your cell phone to report and check the status of your restoration.
A word from Armando Pimentel, FPL president and CEO: “Over the past several years, including the historic 2024 hurricane season, our investments to make the electric grid stronger and smarter have proven effective in getting the lights back on faster for our customers. Nevertheless, no electric grid can be 100% stormproof. That is why we encourage you to take this time to refresh and finalize your emergency plans, so your families and businesses are ready, too.”
A year-round resource: For tips and advice on developing emergency plans, visit FPL.com/Storm. This site includes checklists, suggestions and resources for Floridians preparing their homes and/or businesses for hurricane season.
About Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is America’s largest electric utility, delivering reliable power to more than 6 million customer accounts — serving approximately 12 million people across Florida. By leveraging a diverse energy mix, including nuclear, natural gas, solar and battery storage, FPL operates one of the most fuel- and cost-efficient power generation fleets in the U.S. and has earned the ReliabilityOne® National Reliability Award for seven of the last ten years. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), which is one of the largest electric power and energy infrastructure companies in North America and is a leading provider of electricity to American homes and businesses. NextEra Energy is also the parent company of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is advancing America’s energy future with one of the largest and most diverse portfolios of power generation and infrastructure solutions. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.
Treasure Coast Business is a news service and magazine published in print, via e-newsletter and online at tcbusiness.com by Indian River Media Group. For more information or to report news email news@indianrivermedia.com