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Tag: Florida state of emergency

SECO Energy Tracking Hurricane Dorian

SECO Energy is tracking Hurricane Dorian as it travels through the Atlantic toward Florida. Forecasters predict Dorian could increase to a CAT 3 or higher hurricane as it makes landfall on Florida’s east coast Monday evening into Tuesday morning.

 

During a major weather event with widespread damage and lengthy outage times, members often question restoration priorities. Utilities are required to first restore power to shelters, hospitals, schools and government agencies like emergency operations centers, fire stations, and law enforcement facilities. The next priority is large commercial accounts that provide food, water and damage-recovery supplies. After these priorities, SECO focuses on restoring the highest volume of members as quickly and safely as possible. Distribution feeders with the highest number of members served are first. Feeders with lower member counts and lateral lines in sparsely populated areas are last to be restored.

 

Members who require uninterrupted electricity to power life-sustaining devices are urged to have a back-up source for power or make arrangements to go to a shelter. Enroll in the Florida Special Needs Registry by visiting floridadisaster.org. Members should also sign up for county alerts (Alert Citrus, Alert Hernando, Alert Lake, Alert Levy, Alert Marion, Alert Pasco and Alert Sumter). Review SECO Energy’s Hurricane Handbook for preparation tips for before, during and after a storm.

 

CEO Jim Duncan warns members to prepare for power outages from Hurricane Dorian. Duncan stated, “Hurricane Dorian is shaping up to be a very powerful Category 3 or higher hurricane at landfall. The track indicates that Dorian will travel directly over SECO Energy’s service area. Forecasters are still unsure how long the storm will linger over Florida. Prepare for widespread and lengthy power outages. Even with hundreds of additional contractors coming to engage in emergency restoration, the damage will likely be significant and the restoration process lengthy.”

 

SECO Energy is watching the progress of Hurricane Dorian as it makes its way closer to a Florida landfall. Forecasters predict that Dorian will make landfall as a CAT 3 or higher hurricane. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Dorian’s current sustained wind speeds are 110 mph and the system continues to move northwest at 12 mph. In less than 24 hours, Hurricane Dorian’s maximum sustained wind speeds increased 25 mph and is predicted to increase.

 

Models shifted to predict landfall closer to south Florida. The Bahama islands are currently under a Hurricane Watch. The likelihood of Hurricane Dorian impacting SECO Energy’s service territory is high.

 

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 28. County Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) in Citrus, Lake, Marion and Sumter County are monitoring Hurricane Dorian’s impact as well. Sandbag locations have been established in Lake and Marion County. Lake and Marion County have executed a local state of emergency.

 

StormCenter is SECO Energy’s outage and communications platform for members to report outages, check the status of an existing outage and enroll in outage communications and alerts via email, text, voice or all three. Visit StormCenter today and bookmark on your smartphone or tablet to report outages quickly and easily. Once the hurricane has passed SECO’s area later next week, members should use our Daily Restoration Plan Map to identify if crews are working in their area that day. Visit SECOEnergy.com and click on the home page banner to access the map.

 

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.

SECO Tracking Hurricane Irma as Governor Declares State of Emergency

SECO Energy is tracking Hurricane Irma and the impact the storm will bring to Central Florida. The peak of Atlantic hurricane season is here, and Irma is a strong storm that may target Florida later this week.

 

As of Tuesday morning, Hurricane Irma is a Category 5 hurricane and is located approximately 1,000 miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. Thunderstorms associated with Irma are becoming more organized and conditions are conducive for Irma to continue develop and the intensity of the storm to increase. Hurricane Irma is moving west-northwest, and the storm is on track to affect south Florida as early as Saturday.

 

Governor Rick Scott has proactively declared a state of emergency for all Florida counties. The governor’s actions allow local governments ample time to gather resources well in advance of potential landfall. Currently, Irma is still too far away to determine its exact path, but SECO hopes the governor’s declaration spurs Floridians to prepare early and also allows comprehensive movement of utility crews, equipment and supplies within the state.

 

SECO employees are Storm Ready and waiting to respond if outages occur from Hurricane Irma. SECO is prepared for the possibility of inclement weather and would like to remind members that it is best to be informed and prepared. When storms threaten, supplies sell out quickly, now is the time to gather your emergency supplies and be ready to hunker down if Irma strikes Florida.

 

The National Weather Service recommends each household have enough food and water for each person in the house for one week. Stock your first aid kit, and include a 30-day supply of prescription medicines. Make sure your flashlights and weather radio are in good working order, with plenty of extra batteries. Fill your car with gas, and have cash on hand, gas pumps, ATMs and credit cards won’t work during power outages.

 

If you have a portable or backup generator, now is the time to test that it is running properly and you have an adequate supply of fuel on hand. Members can visit SECO’s website for storm preparation tips and view an emergency checklist. For members with smartphones or tablets, go online and bookmark SECO’s Storm Center for easy outage reporting and updates.

 

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.