Tampa Electric is closely monitoring Hurricane Ian and is prepared to respond to severe weather that is expected to affect Florida in the coming days. Those preparations may include interrupting service to a small portion of evacuated Zone A in downtown Tampa to help reduce restoration time.
Hurricane Ian is expected to bring strong winds, heavy rain and potentially significant storm surge to Florida’s west coast by mid-week. Tampa Electric’s first priority is the safety of customers and employees, and the company urges residents to follow local evacuation orders.
As conditions warrant, Tampa Electric may proactively shut down power to the southern tip of the downtown area early Wednesday. By proactively shutting down certain parts of the network ahead of the storm, Tampa Electric can avoid serious damage to the underground equipment from saltwater storm surge, which will significantly shorten restoration time after the storm. The affected area is under a mandatory evacuation order. The proactive outage is expected to affect Harbor Island, two Channelside hotels, the transportation center and most of Davis Islands. It will not affect Tampa General Hospital.
“The safety of our customers and our equipment is our top priority, and if you live in an evacuated zone, I urge you to take immediate action,” said Archie Collins, president and chief executive officer of Tampa Electric. “Hurricane Ian is a large and unpredictable storm. While the path remains uncertain, we anticipate significant storm surge, and I encourage our customers to prepare for extended power outages.”
Tampa Electric’s comprehensive storm plan is in place, and the company is ready for whatever Mother Nature brings this way:
- Tampa Electric’s crews are prepared to work around the clock to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.
- With the help of thousands of line workers from other utilities, the company is planning to exponentially increase the number of crews in the field to help restore power. These crews are headed to Florida and will be riding out the storm outside of harm’s way.
- The call center has ample staff to handle customer calls, including seeking assistance from other utilities, if needed.
