Florida Power & Light lineworkers, support staff return from restoring power following Hurricane Michael
Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) announced Tuesday that its lineworkers and support staff have returned after restoring power to areas impacted by Hurricane Michael.
In total, more than 1,000 FPL employees and contractors assisted in restoring power to approximately 16,000 homes and businesses in the Florida Panhandle, Georgia and South Carolina.
“In the aftermath of a natural disaster, we know how important it is for all of us to come together and to help our neighbors in their greatest time of need,” Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL, said. “Hurricane Michael was a catastrophic storm that decimated communities throughout the entire Southeast. Our team was honored to work alongside other energy companies to do our part to return normalcy to so many. We stand at the ready to provide additional assistance whenever and wherever it is needed as our fellow citizens strive to recover from this most challenging time in their lives.”
FPL also provided mobile fueling support for Florida Highway Patrol vehicles and contractors to assist Florida’s public safety officials with initial search and rescue operations.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott asked Manny Miranda, FPL’s senior vice president of power delivery, to advise and assist with the state’s power restoration efforts and serve as a liaison between Florida officials and FEMA.
“Mother Nature has a way of humbling all of us,” Miranda said. “Storms can be dangerous forces of nature. As in past storms, our dedicated men and women are willing to leave their families and work in challenging situations to help our fellow Americans in their time of need.”
The NextEra Energy Foundation, the philanthropic arm of FPL and its parent company, NextEra Energy, Inc., also donated $200,000 to the American Red Cross and $100,000 to Gulf Power Transformers, to support people affected by the storm.
