After Hurricane Milton, Tampa Electric has restored power to nearly all its customers in the Tampa Bay area. As of Wednesday, the company reported that almost 97% of customers had their power back, with 95% of those affected by the storm restored. Tampa Electric is also committed to tackling the more challenging power restoration in severely damaged areas, according to WTSP.
Hurricane Milton made a strong landfall as a Category 3 storm, leaving millions without power in the Tampa Bay area. Tampa Electric reported nearly 600,000 outages due to uprooted trees, debris, and flooding. Despite these challenges, the company has over 6,000 workers who are working long 16-hour shifts to restore power, as reported by WFLA.
Tampa Electric President and CEO Archie Collins was quoted by WTSP affirming that, "Our dedicated team is working tirelessly to address the challenging outages in areas with severe damage during these final days of restoration." He assured that the remaining customer outages, particularly those due to more complex or localized damages, would be attended to diligently, reinforcing that the efforts will persist around the clock until every customer has service.
Tampa Electric workforce has made significant progress in recovery, installing 605 transformers, over 1,500 cross arms, about 1,000 poles, and more than a hundred miles of wire across their service area. However, some areas require complete replacement rather than just repairs. For example, in Dade City, multiple poles had to be replaced, and new feeder wire was needed to restore that part of the grid, as mentioned by Florida Politics.
Tampa Electric has informed customers still without power due to severe damage or flooding that restoration may take additional time. They advise anyone with damage to their meter base, breaker panel, or electrical wiring to contact licensed electricians for repairs that meet local building codes. The customer service team is available 24/7 for any outage-related questions or emergencies, ensuring they are ready to help the community as it recovers from Hurricane Milton's aftermath.
