Florida Power & Light prepares for hurricane season during pandemic
Florida Power & Light (FPL) is factoring the COVID-19 pandemic into its planning as it prepares for the 2020 hurricane season.
The company will hold its annual dry run exercise for more than 3,000 employees from June 22 to 26. This drill, featuring a simulated hurricane, employs safety measures related to the ongoing pandemic. FPL will also test its new pandemic safety procedures for restoration crews in an exercise at a staging site on June 15.
“FPL and many of our customers have been through storms together, but this year is like no other,” FPL President and CEO Eric Silagy said. “We face the real and daunting prospect of staring down something none of us has ever had to deal with: a hurricane and a global pandemic at the same time. While the circumstances have changed, FPL’s steadfast commitment to restoring power safely and as quickly as possible has not.”
FPLL’s restoration strategy for getting the power back on safely and quickly has not changed, but the process has been expanded this year to add new safety measures to help protect customers and FPL personnel from COVID-19. For example, FPL will require its entire restoration workforce to undergo daily health screenings before going to work after a hurricane.
Also, FPL is altering the layout of staging sites – which are like miniature cities with lodging, parking, food, showers, and laundry for out-of-state crews who assist FPL. The staging sites will account for social distancing and limited interaction. FPL will also expand its use of micro-staging sites. For Hurricane Irma in 2017, FPL assembled a restoration workforce of 28,000, including utility workers from 30 states and Canada.
With travel restrictions in place, FPL may not be able to put together a restoration workforce of that size, so it could take longer to restore power after a hurricane. Thus, FPL is asking customers for their patience if severe weather strikes during the pandemic.
In addition to incorporating social distancing, personnel will use personal protective equipment and take other health and safety measures as part of storm response planning. Crews will have sanitizing materials as well as disinfectant spray and wipes. Also, extensive cleaning and sanitization measures will take place at staging sites and command centers to protect personnel supporting the restoration effort. Further, screening and temperature checks will take place at all staging sites and corporate facilities, as well as testing employees in critical functions. Other measures include minimizing the movement of crews, keeping the same crews assigned to the same work areas, and minimizing crews entering customers’ homes and businesses.
Tampa Electric is also taking precautions as they prepare for hurricane season during the pandemic.
“Hurricane preparations are even more important this year amid the pandemic,” Nancy Tower, president and chief executive officer of Tampa Electric, said. “As we work to protect the public and our employees, our approach toward storm restoration will involve new and necessary health-first measures. We are doing everything we can to mitigate the impact of the pandemic, and, as always, we will keep our customers well-informed.”
