Florida Utility Crews to Help in Storm Aftermath

With Hurricane Delta expected to make landfall Friday in Louisiana, utility crews from Florida will help restore electricity after the storm. Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy Florida and 10 Florida municipal utilities will have crews in Louisiana, utility officials said Thursday. The municipal utilities are Beaches Energy Services in Jacksonville Beach, JEA, Gainesville Regional Utilities, City of Tallahassee Electric Utility, Lakeland Electric, Kissimmee Utility Authority, Orlando Utilities Commission, Fort Pierce Utilities Authority, City of Homestead Electric Utility and Keys Energy Services, according to the Florida Municipal Electric Association.

Florida utilities also have sent crews to help with power-restoration after other storms this year, such as Hurricane Laura, which hit Louisiana. FPL employees and contractors began going to Louisiana on Thursday morning. “We know how critical it is to get assistance from other utilities after a hurricane and to pre-position crews ahead of time,” Eric Silagy, FPL president and CEO, said in a prepared statement. “As Floridians with lessons learned from decades of storms, we believe this tried and true process of having boots on the ground before a storm hits is the fastest way to restoring power as soon as it is safe to do so.”

A hurricane warning was in effect Thursday from High Island, Texas, to Morgan City, La., with Hurricane Delta expected to make landfall Friday afternoon or evening, according to a National Hurricane Center advisory.

Article reposted with permission from The News Service of Florida.