Hurricane Idalia, Power Outages Send Ripples Along U.S. East Coast

 Hurricane Idalia, Power Outages Send Ripples Along U.S. East Coast

Hurricane Idalia, Power Outages Send Ripples Along U.S. East Coast(Image-Getty)

With the U.S. East Coast spanning from Florida to North Carolina still grappling with the aftermath of hurricane Idalia, the extent of the disruption is apparent as over 300,000 residences and businesses find themselves without power. The comprehensive data collected by power outage tracking resource, PowerOutage.us, sheds light on the gravity of the situation.

The fierce impact of Hurricane Idalia was acutely felt in the Big Bend region of Florida. Anticipating a menacing surge of tidal water, millions of residents took precautionary measures by either evacuating the area or finding shelter. As the storm journeyed towards Georgia, however, its intensity waned, resulting in a decrease in its destructive force.

The brunt of the power outages was borne by Florida, with a staggering 149,705 locations currently lacking power. Following closely, Georgia reported 109,629 instances of power loss, while South Carolina registered 25,017 households grappling with the same issue, as documented by PowerOutage.us.

Among the utilities, Georgia Power faced the most extensive challenge, with approximately 78,045 of its customers plunged into darkness. In a comparable vein, Duke Energy (DUK.N) struggled to restore power to 37,329 of its patrons in Florida, further underscoring the far-reaching impact of the storm.

In the midst of this power crisis, Tampa Electric has made noteworthy progress in reinstating power to the majority of its affected customer base, which stood at around 35,000. In preparation for the impending storm, Tampa Electric demonstrated remarkable foresight by assembling a workforce of about 3,000 individuals hailing from various utilities. This collective effort included skilled line crews, adept tree trimmers, and astute damage assessors, all contributing to the monumental task of restoring power.

Archie Collins, the CEO of Tampa Electric, attested to the relief brought by the somewhat milder weather conditions than initially projected. This fortuitous turn of events enabled the dedicated crews to work tirelessly through the night, diligently mending the disrupted power supply and successfully bringing light back into the lives of their customers amidst the tempest.