Florida Residents Still Reeling From Hurricane Aftermath
(TargetLiberty.org) – Last Wednesday, Hurricane Ian hit Florida, killing more than 100 people and leaving thousands homeless in its wake. A week later, people are still trying to put their lives back together. However, delays in restoring power means a start at normal life could still be days or even weeks away.
520K Floridians wait for power as rebuilding begins after Hurricane Ian – WPBF West Palm Beach https://t.co/yG7NxMg9ir
— HEM News Agency (@halfeatenmind) October 4, 2022
Hurricane Ian, which came ashore as a Category 4 storm with winds gusting up to 150 mph, looks set to be the most expensive hurricane in Florida’s history. Thousands of homes were demolished, and whole towns devastated by the powerful storm surge. Around 2.6 million homes lost power, and now repair crews are trying to get the supply reconnected as residents swelter in hot weather.
According to Eric Silagy, the CEO of Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), 21,000 utility workers drafted in from 30 states are working on restoring electricity. Silagy hopes 95% of his customers will have power back by Friday. The remaining 5% are in areas still flooded or consist of homes too badly damaged for the power to be safely turned on. The problem is that represents tens of thousands of homes.
FPL is the state’s largest power supplier; other companies also hope to hit the 95% mark over the weekend, but Floridians in remote areas could have to wait much longer. Silagy says his company has invested $4 billion in hardening the power network over the last decade, and it seems to have paid off — but much of it is still vulnerable.
How many more times will millions of homes lose electrical power due to storms that occur nearly every year?
Copyright 2022, TargetLiberty.org
