“At FPL, we’ve been working hard to strengthen our system against storms.” announced the Florida Power and Light Company in a media release this afternoon. The announcement comes as a reminder of Florida’s summer hurricane season which is upon us.
As residents recall a few years ago, the St. Augustine area was hit by three major storm systems. Hurricane force winds left FPL customers without power for days. FPL received criticism from local residents because the utility company was unavailable to respond to their service outages.
Telephone calls went unanswered, repair trucks were observed headed south to restore power to that part of the state and conditions became worse by the day. FEMA offered rebates for power generators and compensation for lost food which could no longer be refrigerated.
FPL cautioned, “While no electric system can be 100 percent hurricane proof, FPL is investing in a comprehensive, long-term plan to improve the reliability of our electrical system every day – which also makes our system stronger during bad weather.”
According to the announcement, “Should a hurricane strike, FPL has a proven and well-tested plan to restore your service safely and as quickly as possible”. Many St. Augustine residents who lived through the past storm-related power outages will have a different opinion.
We’ve been fortunate to experience two quiet hurricane seasons in a row.
FPL says that they have been preparing for whatever 2008 may bring. They encourage you to join in by getting ready now, before the storms hit. FPL suggests taking preparatory measures such as trimming the trees in your yard now, before hurricane season, and have the debris removed before a storm approaches.
The company offers some more good advice — Don’t wait!
Before hurricane season begins, be sure you have a plan in place to keep your family safe before, during and after a storm.
PLAN AHEAD
•Develop an emergency plan including evacuation routes, special medical needs, important phone numbers and a supply list.
•Get your storm preparation checklist
BEFORE THE STORM HITS
•Turn off and unplug any non-essential electrical equipment.
•Put important documents in a waterproof container.
AFTER THE STORM
•Be patient. If you’ve evacuated, do not return home until it’s safe to travel.
•Safety should be your top priority.
For additional information, visit the company’s website at fpl.com
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