FPL Forecasts Hurricane Ian Restoration to be Essentially Complete on Friday, Two Days Earlier Than Originally Forecast

After making significant progress over the weekend responding to devastating Hurricane Ian, Florida Power & Light Company now expects to complete restoration to 95% of customers who remain without power by Friday, Oct. 7 – two days earlier than originally forecast.

FPL’s workforce of more than 21,000 men and women – including mutual assistance from 30 states – has completed restoration in several regions of the state, allowing the company to redirect more crews and equipment to the hardest-hit areas of Southwest Florida and Volusia County.

As of 11 a.m., FPL had restored electricity to 83% of affected customers, with crews fully focused on restoring power to the remaining 369,000 FPL customers safely and as quickly as possible.

The massive effort is currently supported by 18 staging and parking sites strategically positioned for the rapid deployment of crews and equipment to help restore power faster. The number is down from a peak of 38 because, as FPL completes restoration in some areas, the company shifts resources and zeroes in on the hardest-hit areas.

“Finishing our restoration sooner will allow us to free up resources to help others in the state,” said Eric Silagy, chairman and CEO of FPL. “I want to thank our brave men and women who’ve worked around the clock to accelerate our timeline and who continue to go to great lengths to restore a sense of normalcy to the state and our communities. Now that our workforce has energized the majority of main power lines – the arteries of the electrical system – we are fanning out into communities and neighborhoods, and we will not stop until everyone’s power is restored.”