Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) challenged its employees with a simulated Category 4 hurricane during the company’s annual storm drill in May. As part of FPL’s extensive year-round focus on storm preparation, the drill helps employees prepare to respond when customers need them most.
FPL has invested in a stronger, smarter and more storm-resilient energy grid that benefits customers by improving the speed of restoration and reducing outage times following severe weather.
These grid enhancements include:
- Smart Grid — Installing more than 215,000 intelligent devices along the energy grid to detect and prevent outages and minimize restoration times when outages occur. In recent years, smart-grid technology helped avoid more than 600,000 outages combined during significant hurricane events.
- Undergrounding — Replacing more overhead neighborhood power lines with more reliable underground lines through the Storm Secure Underground Program. These lines perform significantly better during severe weather, up to 12 times better during previous hurricanes.
- Hardening — Strengthening nearly all main power lines serving critical community facilities and services. More than 76% of these lines are now hardened or underground. FPL has also replaced nearly all of its transmission structures with steel or concrete.
“At FPL, we operate under the premise that it is a matter of when — not if — a major storm will strike,” said FPL Vice President of Power Delivery Ed De Varona. “That’s why we prepare year-round and why we are relentlessly focused on building a resilient grid and drilling on preparation and restoration. Our customers should know that we are prepared for the upcoming hurricane season. But, they should also know that no system is stormproof and that they should share our commitment and prepare their own emergency plans.”
Now is the time for residents to begin thinking about their hurricane preparedness plans while there is not a storm on Florida’s doorstep. Customers can go to FPL.com/Storm for helpful tips for their home or business.
Residents are urged to consider some of the following plans:
- Create a storm plan for you and your loved ones, especially for those who have medically essential power needs.
- Hire a qualified professional to trim trees growing near power lines to minimize the impact it may have on your home or neighborhood during severe weather.
- Stock up on batteries and flashlights in case you experience a power outage.
- If you have a generator, study the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure safe operations.
- Download the FPL mobile app as the most effective resource to stay in touch with FPL following a storm.
