Current:Home > reviewsFlorida power outage map: 3 million Floridians without power following Hurricane Milton -Pinnacle Profit Strategies
Florida power outage map: 3 million Floridians without power following Hurricane Milton
View
Date:2025-04-18 21:45:27
Over three million people are without power after Hurricane Milton swept through Florida on Wednesday and Thursday.
On Thursday morning, the storm was a Category 1 hurricane with a maximum sustained wind speed of 85 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. It is moving northeast at 18 mph towards the Sargasso Sea off of Florida's east coast.
As of 6:30 am ET, approximately 3,245,549 customers, primarily across Central Florida, are in the dark, according to data from USA TODAY's power outage tracker.
59,271 customers in Highlands County, Florida, and 50,053 customers in Flagler County are without power.
In Hillsborough County, 100% of the customers tracked, 430,747, are without power, making it the county with the highest number of outages in Florida.
Following Hurricane Milton? Sign up for USA TODAY's Climate Point newsletter for exclusive weather analysis.
Hurricane Milton tracker:Storm exits Florida at Category 1 strength after slamming west coast
Florida power outage map
When will power come back?
Floridians could "experience longer than normal restoration times following the storm," according to Florida Power and Light Company, FPL.
"FPL crews will restore power between bands of severe weather as long as it is safe," the company stated in a press release on Wednesday.
Before the storm made landfall, Floridians were asked to rush to prepare for long-duration power outages.
"As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida’s west coast, Duke Energy Florida is urging its customers to prepare for this catastrophic storm and a lengthy power restoration process that will result in extended outages," Duke Energy stated on its website, which provides electricity to 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.
On Monday, the company said it would mobilize around 10,000 responders to prepare for the high amount of outages its customers could face. Similarly, FPL prepared a restoration workforce of 17,000 people to address power outages after the storm.
Thursday morning, 766,984 Duke Energy Florida customers are facing power outages, according to Poweroutage.us. Originally, the company estimated that over a million of its customers would face extended power outages. Around 1,153,288 FPL customers are also without power.
Hurricane Milton tracker
Hurricane Milton spaghetti models
Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest-performing models to help make its forecasts.
Restoration efforts following outages
Once power outages begin, restoration efforts will be launched in force wherever and whenever it is safe to do so. But restoration may run into problems left over from Hurricane Helene.
Power restoration will be prioritized to restore power to the largest number of customers as quickly as possible. According to FPL, priorities are given to:
- Power plants and damaged lines and substations
- Critical facilities such as hospitals, police and fire stations, communication facilities, water treatment plants and transportation providers
- Major thoroughfares with supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations and other needed community services.
- Smaller groups and local areas
Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com
veryGood! (211)
Related
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- New York City Has Ambitious Climate Goals. The Next Mayor Will Determine Whether the City Follows Through
- Summer job market proving strong for teens
- Warming Trends: GM’S EVs Hit the Super Bowl, How Not to Waste Food and a Prize for Climate Solutions
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- Kelis Cheekily Responds to Bill Murray Dating Rumors
- How the Marine Corps Struck Gold in a Trash Heap As Part of the Pentagon’s Fight Against Climate Change
- Minnesota Pipeline Ruling Could Strengthen Tribes’ Legal Case Against Enbridge Line 3
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- A Shantytown’s Warning About Climate Change and Poverty from Hurricane-Ravaged Bahamas
Ranking
- The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
- Surrounded by Oil Fields, an Alaska Village Fears for Its Health
- New study finds PFAS forever chemicals in drinking water from 45% of faucets across U.S.
- 7-year-old boy among 5 dead in South Carolina plane crash
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- A Clean Energy Revolution Is Rising in the Midwest, with Utilities in the Vanguard
- How Energy Companies and Allies Are Turning the Law Against Protesters
- Ohio man sentenced to life in prison for rape of 10-year-old girl who traveled to Indiana for abortion
Recommendation
Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
The Common Language of Loss
Jake Gyllenhaal and Girlfriend Jeanne Cadieu Ace French Open Style During Rare Outing
In the Sunbelt, Young Climate Activists Push Cities to Cut Emissions, Whether Their Mayors Listen or Not
Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
Warming Trends: A Catastrophe for Monarchs, ‘Science Moms’ and Greta’s Cheeky Farewell to Trump
Power Companies vs. the Polar Vortex: How Did the Grid Hold Up?
Lin Wood, attorney who challenged Trump's 2020 election loss, gives up law license