Repairing the grid after a major hurricane is a complex task, experts said. Utilities first have to send crews out to inspect the damage before they can figure out how best to restore service. That assessment can take days, and heavy flooding and debris from the storm can delay workers trying to reach key areas.
Hurricane Irma has left millions people without electricity, as winds, rain and storm surges have brought down grid infrastructure across Florida and Georgia. Utilities were stuck waiting for safer conditions to assess the damage, before they can even begin to work on what is “likely to be one of the largest industry restoration efforts in U.S. history."
Millions of Floridians are getting on with their recovery from Hurricane Irma, which roared through the state, pummeling homes and flooding streets. But for the moment, many are stuck anxiously waiting in the sweltering heat for the power (and the all-important air conditioning) to come back on.
A group of Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities (DPU) linemen gathered at Love’s Travel Stop on U.S. 301 Wednesday to meet workers from other departments. They then took off for Florida to help with the Hurricane Irma response.
Severe weather happens year-round. Tornadoes, hurricanes and other storms can seriously damage power lines and other electrical equipment. Storm damage causes dangers that lurk after a storm has passed. Safe Electricity encourages you to be aware of and prepared for those dangers.
More than 7.1 million customers were without power across Florida and in parts of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina as a result of Hurricane Irma. As the storm moved through the region, companies were able to address more than 1.25 million outages, due largely to recent investments in energy grid technology and automation.
Florida’s construction cranes weathered Hurricane Irma better than expected, although three massive cranes did collapse in the southern part of the state after being battered by 120 mph winds and heavy rain. There were no injuries reported from the crane incidents.
Here’s a sampling of news about Hurricane Irma, which has already been declared one of the most destructive storms in Atlantic History, and is expected to affect approximately 37 million people.
There are long lines at Florida gas stations and empty shelves in the state’s grocery stores, as residents both stock up on supplies and prepare to flee before Hurricane Irma makes its expected landfall sometime Sunday. Irma could then strike a blow at parts of Georgia and the Carolinas.
