Long restoration times are likely depending on how the coronavirus plays out during the six-month Atlantic hurricane season, which started June 1 and is predicted to be extremely active.
"While we are committed to restoring power to customers as quickly as possible following a hurricane, I am not willing to sacrifice safety for speed," Florida Power & Light Company President and CEO Eric Silagy noted Friday after the company concluded its two-week storm preparedness drill.
"The No. 1 priority of every employee and contractor working to restore power is to return home safely to loved ones," he said. "This has always been at the core of our hurricane response and it remains at the heart of everything we do this hurricane season."
It means everyone living in hurricane-prone communities must be ready to be without power longer following a major hurricane. Just as important is adding hand sanitizer and face masks to a storm-preparedness checklist, as well as checking with local emergency management officials for changes to shelters and evacuation orders due to the coronavirus.