The storm struck Florida as a Category 4 and moved inland. More than 4 million customers lacked power Friday morning.
Millions of Southeastern U.S. customers were without power Friday morning after Hurricane Helene hit Florida as a Category 4 storm and moved inland.
By 5 a.m., the National Hurricane Center had downgraded Helene to a tropical storm and warned of damaging wind gusts across the Carolinas and Georgia and the potential for “catastrophic and life-threatening flash and urban flooding” across portions of the southern Appalachians. Flood warnings were also issued for parts of Florida.
Data from PowerOutage.us, shortly after 9 a.m. EDT, showed 1.14 million customers in Florida without service, as well as 1.1 million in Georgia, 1.4 million in South Carolina and more than a half million in North Carolina.
By 6 a.m., Florida Power & Light said it had restored power to more than 460,000 customers, more than 65% of those impacted by the storm.
“Though our system held up well and our team of thousands continues to work around-the-clock, some of our customers remain without power,” FPL President and CEO Armando Pimentel said in a statement. “To them, we have a simple message: We will not stop until your lights are back on.”
Along with its restoration efforts, FPL said it was continuing to assess damage, including by using drones, which it said could speed recovery times, and it was coordinating with local emergency management officials to clear roads for lineworkers.
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For more on hurricane season and the utility industry, see how Duke Energy is strengthening the grid, ask yourself if you are making these heat related illness mistakes, and make sure you are stocked up on the must haves for storm season.
