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Author: Kathryn Gloria

SECO Energy Braced for Hurricane Eta

The National Hurricane Center upgraded TS Eta to hurricane status Wednesday morning. SECO Energy has been monitoring Eta and its pending effects on the cooperative’s territory. Hurricane Eta’s track and landfall site have continued to change since the storm moved away from Central America last week. Forecasters now predict Hurricane Eta will make an easterly turn into Florida’s Gulf Coast with the potential to travel through SECO’s service area as a tropical storm.

 

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasts shows that Hurricane Eta is about 145 miles south/southwest of Tampa with 75 mph sustained winds. On the forecast track, the center of Eta will move closer to the southwest coast of Florida today, approach the west-central coast of Florida tonight, and move inland over the northern portion of the Florida peninsula on Thursday. Eta is expected to move northeastward into the western Atlantic late Thursday or early Friday.

 

Projected landfall location is between Citrus and Levy Counties. Citrus County has announced school closures for Thursday. Currently, hurricane force winds extend 60 miles from the center. SECO’s forecaster predicts that Eta will bring heavy rains and wind gusts between 40 and 50 mph at peak to parts of the cooperative’s service territory. A storm surge warning has been issued for the Florida west coast from Suwannee River to Bonita Beach, including Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor.

 

cone eta hurricane

 

SECO Energy is StormReady and prepared to respond to power outages caused by Hurricane Eta’s rainbands and wind gusts. SECO employee and contractor line crews, as well as tree crews are staged across the system. Above normal rains in October have left some areas saturated. Additional rain from Hurricane Eta could cause outages from trees falling into power lines.

 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in mid-March, SECO Energy has taken the necessary precautions to ensure the health and wellbeing of its employees and contractors. SECO’s line crews and contractors are the key to preserving service reliability for the cooperative’s 200,000+ homes and businesses within its service territory. The COVID-19 protections instituted for SECO employees and contractors may slow restoration effort.

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “Our SECO storm watchers have been monitoring Hurricane Eta and its wobbling projected track since early last week. We’ve been lucky in Central Florida that the 2020 hurricane season has had minimal effect on our area. Hurricane Eta looks to change that trend. SECO Energy employees and our line and tree contractor partners are prepared to respond to outages from Hurricane Eta’s heavy rains and winds. The track, intensity and forecast of tropical storms and hurricanes often change, and we will keep members updated so they can be prepared.”

 

Duncan also reminded members that SECO Energy’s StormCenter outage reporting and communications platform offers outage alerts. He advises, “StormCenter is available for members to report new outages or check the status of an existing outage using their smartphones or tablets 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Members should also enroll in outage notifications and alerts via email, text or voice message, or all three. An alert is sent when the system recognizes that your service has been interrupted. The alert will include crew status, start time and an estimated restoration time. You’ll also receive a notification when service is restored, and we will include the cause of the outage if it is known at that time.”

 

Members should visit StormCenter and bookmark the site on their smartphones or tablets. On StormCenter, members can view the outage map, manage notifications, check the status of an existing outage, report an area light issue and more. Stay up to date on weather affecting SECO Energy’s service area, the latest news releases and cooperative updates by “liking” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter.

 

 

Nature’s Reflections – Florida’s Black Bear

Has A Den, But Does Not Truly Hibernate

 

Our largest native land mammal, the Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus), has come back from only several hundred bears in the 1970s to more than 4,000 today. This subspecies of the American black bear is one of Florida’s biggest conservation success stories. It has a shiny, black coat of fur with a light brown nose and snout. Its long, razor sharp claws do not retract.

 

It is a powerful climber and swimmer and can run up to 30 mph for short distances. It has an excellent sense of smell, acute hearing, good eyesight, and sees in color. When a black bear sees a human, it will often do a lot of sniffing, and may stand up. This is not a sign of aggression; it helps the curious bear to catch the scent and to get a better look. The black bear is a very shy animal, whose normal nature is to flee human encounters.

Natures Reflections—Florida's Black Bear

Adult males normally weigh 250 to 350 lbs., and adult females 130 to 180 lbs. The largest male bear on record in Florida weighed 760 lbs.; the largest female weighed 400 lbs. Except during mating season from June to August, these bears are solitary by nature. Adult females typically breed every other year, producing one to three cubs in January/February, each weighing about a half pound. Cubs stay with their mother for about 18 months. Half die before a year of age. In Florida, male bears typically have a home range of 60 square miles; females just 15 square miles. black bears prefer forests of sand-pine scrub, oak scrub, forested wetlands and upland hardwoods like the Ocala National Forest.

 

The black bear is an omnivore, which means it eats both plants and other animals. It’ll eat just about anything, including fruits, berries, acorns, the hearts of the sabal palm or saw palmetto, honey, bees, walking sticks (a favorite insect), armadillos, wild pigs, fawns and garbage.

 

Loss of habitat due to development has increased the potential for more encounters between bears and people. The presence of a black bear does not necessarily represent a problem. Many residents living in black bear country enjoy observing them from a distance, of course. Never offer a bear food! Keep food sources like pet food and garbage away from them by securing or removing the temptations.

 

Column & photos by Sandi Staton – sandi.staton@gmail.com

 

Read the full Nature’s Reflections article in the November 2017 SECO News.

 

Hurricane Caused Outages to 100,000+ SECO Members

Irma inundated SECO Energy’s service area with hurricane-force winds from Sunday afternoon through Monday morning.  More than 100,000 members are known to be without power.  The outages affect more than 100 feeders.  Eight SECO substations are completely out due to transmission outages – including six Duke Energy transmission outages, one City of Ocala transmission outage, and one SECO-owned transmission outage.

 

SECO has developed a priority plan to restore feeders with hospitals, shelters, schools and government agencies located on them.  The next priority is to assess the entire system and execute a plan that restores power to large groups of members next, and then to less populated areas with individual electric services.

 

Though winds have not allowed SECO to begin the system assessment, the company anticipates that damage will be extensive and the restoration may take days or even weeks.  Seek shelter if you or your loved ones need power to run life-saving medical devices. Floridians can access www.floridadisaster.org/shelters for shelter information by county, including general population shelters, pet-friendly shelters and special needs shelters.

 

Once safe, SECO employees and hundreds of line and tree contractors will converge throughout the service territory to conduct restoration according to the emergency plan priorities outlined above. Hundreds of bucket trucks, front-end loaders, cranes, and other heavy equipment are already assembled at SECO.

cavalry trucks buckets

If you are using a portable or backup generator, never let it run in enclosed spaces.  Generators emit carbon monoxide gas that is a silent, odorless killer.  Ensure these are connected correctly. Do not tamper with a meter to connect a generator as this requires a licensed electrician. Safety tips and storm preparation tips are available on SECO’s website at www.secoenergy.com>Safety>Storm Preparation.

 

Members with smartphones and tablets should use SECO’s Storm Center to report outages to ensure the company is aware of your service status.  CenturyLink phone lines are down, so please report your outages online. To avoid scams and dangers, do not accept restoration or tree trimming assistance from someone who is asking for payment on the spot and is not a SECO employee or contractor.  Under no circumstances would SECO ask for payment in the field during a restoration event.  Do not attempt to reconnect services yourself.

 

As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, SECO is dedicated to being our members’ first source for accurate storm information.  “Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” the company on Twitter to stay updated about storms affecting our area.

 

Cheeseburgers, Fries and Life Lessons from Dad

In late May, a line of strong thunderstorms passed through Lake County creating widespread outages for SECO Energy members in Clermont. The storm damage was substantial but service was restored within the hour. The next day, however, members in the same area experienced an additional service interruption due to multiple equipment failures caused by the previous day’s lightning damage.

 

Tony Marshowsky, a SECO Energy member in Clermont, was understandably frustrated by multiple outages on consecutive days. He contacted SECO via Facebook for information about the outages. SECO had posted photos, video and other details, and Tony was happy to learn that crews were repairing the damage. The repair was extensive, as the capacitors had arced and created a fire. The pole split and broke where the capacitor bank was attached and crashed to the ground.

 

Coincidentally, Marshowsky and his nine-year-old son Tony, Jr. drove by the crew repairing the pole in the rain on their way to Wendy’s for a milkshake. As a blue-collar worker himself, Marshowsky empathized with the crew, and stated, “These men were working in the rain. I imagine they were tired, hungry and working late so that my family and neighbors would have power and air conditioning. I decided I could teach my son a life lesson, reminding him to thank the people around us who are working for our benefit.”

 

SECO Energy, Cheeseburgers, Fries and Life Lessons from Dad

 

Armed with multiple bags of Wendy’s cheeseburgers and fries, Marshowsky and his son delivered dinner and a heartfelt thank you to the SECO crew working to replace the damaged pole. Marshowsky later added, “The little guys, the blue-collar workers, the men and women who aren’t always remembered or rewarded for their hard work – they are away from their own homes missing dinner with their own families. It felt good to help someone else and to show my son respect for handworking people.”

 

The SECO Energy Facebook post about Marshowsky and his son’s goodwill grew quickly, reaching almost 20,000 Facebook users in just days. It is also one of the cooperative’s most frequently shared posts this year. The Marshowsky family met up with the SECO crew for a group photo opp and official thank you.

 

Photo caption:  SECO Energy Line Tech David Olszanski, Service Tech David Kerns, Crew Supervisor Jason Merrill, Tony Marshowsky Jr., Line Tech Doug Stanley, Line Tech Garret Keller and Tony Marshowsky Sr.  (not pictured; Line Tech Clint Brighurst and Line Tech Justin Smothers)

 

Learn more about SECO Energy at SECOEnergy.com>Your Co-op. “Like” SECO’s Facebook page to view the video footage of the pole and capacitor damage. Follow @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases, outage information and cooperative updates.

Spaghetti Model Mayhem as Hurricane Matthew Approaches Florida

The spaghetti models for the latest Hurricane Matthew forecast are all over the place, but one thing is clear: It’s coming to Florida, and SECO Energy members will feel effects of the storm on Thursday and Friday.

 

Per the National Hurricane Center’s 5 pm forecast, Hurricane Matthew is moving northwest at 12 mph. On this track, Matthew will move across the Bahamas tonight and tomorrow, and is expected to be near Florida’s east coast tomorrow night. Strengthening is forecasted during the next couple of days, and Matthew is expected to remain at a Category 3 or stronger while it moves through the Bahamas and approaches Florida.

 

The forecasted path of Matthew is a parallel track on Florida’s east coast – but models are mixed now in reference to how close the eye will come to Florida’s shores and where it will head after it passes the northern part of the state. What is certain is Central Florida residents east of I-75 will likely experience rain bands and strong tropical-storm-force wind gusts with damage potential. This means power outages – some perhaps long in duration.

 

SECO encourages its members to report outages using their smartphones or tablets through our online Storm Center application at SECOEnergy.com. It’s easy to report simply by using the last name on the account and the house number. Members can contact SECO via Facebook and Twitter, as details about outages are always posted to these platforms.

 

For those less tech savvy, members can always call and talk to a member service rep (or use the prompts to report the outage by phone at (800) 732 6141. SECO’s System Operations Center is manned 24/7, and our call centers are also manned 24/7 when severe weather comes through – as will be the case as Hurricane Matthew approaches. Downed power lines can be reported by phone too – but a member who suspects immediate danger should call 911.

 

SECO is Storm Ready with a comprehensive emergency response plan that determines the system’s restoration priority of each affected feeder. Essential services such as shelters, hospitals, schools and government agencies are the highest priority. Next, line personnel make repairs that will restore power to large groups of members and then repairs begin on individual electric services in less populated areas. SECO has called for additional line crews and tree trimming contractors to respond quickly to outages caused by Hurricane Matthew.

 

SECO Encourages Member Safety During Hurricane Matthew

 

For members who need continuous power for medical devices, please know that Hurricane Matthew may be the cause of prolonged outages during and after the storm hits. If you are a SECO member who requires uninterrupted service and you do not have a back-up source of power to operate a medically necessary device, now is the time to act as SECO cannot guarantee continuous service during a severe storm event. Shelters are opening in the SECO area Thursday. Contact the emergency operations center (EOC) in the county where you live and inquire about available shelters in your area. Below is the contact information for the EOCs by county:

 

 

 

As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, SECO is dedicated to being members’ first source for accurate storm information. Learn more at SECOEnergy.com.

Hackers, scammers and thieves – at your door

In today’s fast-paced world of hackers, scammers and thieves, SECO Energy members must be vigilant to protect themselves, their property and their financial information. If someone calls you or comes to your door and requests access or payment, protect yourself. Hang up on the caller and above all, don’t allow an unidentified person access to your home. Call 911 if someone suspicious comes to your door without identification and a vehicle with company signage.

 

SECO Energy, New Fleet Look

 

All SECO vehicles display prominent signage. Our fleet vehicles have refreshed branding with larger logos so you can better recognize us when we are working in your area. Our contractors display their company logos with a SECO Energy contractor signage as well. Keep in mind that SECO contractors include meter readers, surge protection installers, tree trimming crews and construction/maintenance contractors, so there are a variety of legitimate reasons for SECO to be in your area.  Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have a question or concern.  If you feel you are in danger, immediately call 911.

 

SECO Energy, New Fleet Look

 

Severe Storms Crossing Service Area

A line of extremely severe thunderstorms crossed Central Florida. SECO has activated additional crews and has called in more contractors and tree crews. The good news is all the feeders are intact and substations are operational. The not-so-good news is the winds/tree damage to laterals has caused nearly 100 individual pockets of outages – affecting, thus far, about 600 members. Many of these outages are in wooded areas where trees made contact with lines and may have brought lines down altogether. Please stay away from downed lines. Call 911 if your safety is at risk. 

Most important, if you are in doubt as to whether SECO is aware of your outage, use Storm Center (select the Report Outage tab at the top) and report with your last name and house number. Check the box for a callback and provide a phone number please. Even if you reported it once already, do it again and provide a callback number so that we can confirm when things are coming back on.

Just click the image below.

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Severe Weather Downs Trees, Lines and Poles in Ocala

Overnight, severe storms swept through SECO Energy’s service area and parts of Ocala were hard hit – including Marion Oaks.  Crews reported 40 separate outages in the Ocala area alone.  Feeders supplying power to more than 2,200 members from the SummerGlen substation were both disrupted. Fire departments immediately began reporting numerous trees, poles and lines down.twisted tree Ocala

 

Crews worked to restore the largest feeders affected first to most quickly impact the largest number of members. The first feeder was restored at 9:30 p.m. and the second at 10:24 p.m. – resulting in nearly 2,200 of the more than 3,000 members affected to have power again.

 

Overnight, additional crews and tree contractors were called in.  Conditions remain challenging with trees down that caused major infrastructure damage – meaning many spans of line were down and numerous broken and downed poles.  The SECO Energy crews and contractors have not stopped working to restore the remaining services.

 

At 6 a.m. Sunday morning, 425 members remain without power – all in the Marion Oaks area.  All outages have been investigated and there are ten outages either with crews already at the location or awaiting trees to be cleared to restore power. Three of the remaining outages require pole replacements and those will take some time this morning. Now in the light of day, it appears there may have been tornado activity, as the tops of trees are twisted in the area.

 

SECO Energy thanks its members for their patience and understanding during this significant weather event.  Many members stayed up-to-date on social media, many used its online map on secoenergy.com to report outages and the company encourages members to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for the latest details.