The Department of Energy reported that 609,143 customers were without power in Florida as of 3 p.m., Nov. 2, due to Hurricane Wilma, down from a peak of about 3.6 million customers. Currently, less than 7% of the customers are without power in the state.
BP reports that as of Wednesday, Nov. 2, about three quarters of its 190 retail sites in South Florida have reopened.
DOE staff are no longer at the Regional Response Coordination Center (RRCC) in Atlanta, Georgia, pursuant to Hurricane Wilma. Staff are now positioned at the Joint Field Office in the Orlando, Florida. DOE staff remain at the New Orleans Area Field Office and Joint Field Office in Baton Rouge.
Cooperative Utilities have essentially completed restoration with only 43 reported outages. Florida Power & Light reports that over 81% of their customers who lost power have now been restored. Work continues by nearly 18,000 workers from 33 states and Canada, which is the largest workforce ever organized in the company’s history. FPL expects 95% of customers left without power after Hurricane Wilma to have electric service no later than Nov. 8.
