FPL explains Collier County Hurricane Milton outages, flickering

Oct 15, 2024

It's been five days since Hurricane Milton came through Southwest Florida, leaving millions without power here and around Florida.

Florida Power and Light and Lee County Electric Cooperative have been working around the clock to restore power to communities and as of Oct. 13, FPL has restored power to more than 90% of customers.

More:What Collier schools had power outages on Monday? What to know about FPL restoration

However, certain areas around Collier County are experiencing power fluctuations at traffic signal intersections and some places that previously had power restored are now without it again.

Here's the latest update from FPL about power inconsistencies and when they'll be fixed.

FPL data indicates that around 1,800 Collier customers are without power as of 3 p.m. on Oct. 14.

Naples Daily News reached out to FPL to find out why there's still power outages five days after the storm. Here's a few reasons why FPL says the public is experiencing power flickers:

Here's FPL spokesperson Mike Mazur's full statement:

"Hurricanes can have long-term effects that aren’t always immediately apparent. For example, many trees and branches have been weakened by the storm and could fall in the coming weeks and months onto power lines and electrical equipment, potentially causing momentary flickers or disrupting power entirely.

In addition, salt spray or storm surge in areas near the coastline could weaken some electrical connections.

Significant wind gusts during the hurricane may also have loosened some electrical connections, which may lead to increased outages and flickers days and weeks later.

Rest assured, as we experience outages after the storm, we’ll be working safely and as quickly as possible to restore service and repair any conditions discovered."

More:Social media posts on Hurricane Milton, including Mucky Duck's famous 'window seat' found

Barron Collier High School had to end school early on Monday Oct. 14 due to a power outage at the beginning of the school day. School officials sent students home at 11 a.m.

Osceola Elementary School also released students early today due to a power outage.

CCPS says power has been restored in both schools.

County Commissioner Chris Hall sent an email to residents today, Oct. 14, with a few updates on FPL power restoration.

"As much as we wish we were managers of the power grid, we are not. We, too, are subject to the operations and communications from FPL," Hall wrote in the digital newsletter. "We outsource our electrical supply from Lee County and other areas which were affect by the hurricane much more than we were."

Hall reminded locals that the County Commission doesn't have a say in the way FPL manages their operations and communications.

FPL officials say over 90% of FPL customers have had their power restored and they expect to restore power to all schools by the end of the day today, Oct. 14.

Unfortunately, there's no way to tell when all power will be back. But FPL says they're working as quickly as possible.