November 11, 2022 – Hurricane Nicole made landfall on Florida’s east coast as a category one storm early Thursday morning.  Wind and rain bands quickly began crossing SECO Energy service territory. The not-for-profit cooperative’s infrastructure experienced 369 total outages affecting 18,629 members throughout the day.  By 9 pm Thursday, SECO Energy had fully restored service to all members.

CEO Curtis Wynn complimented the not-for-profit cooperative’s employees on their efforts.  He stated “Our team was well-prepared for Hurricane Nicole’s path to cross our service territory despite numerous path projection changes in the days before landfall. Without question, SECO Energy is StormReady, brought in the appropriate number of outside contractors and approached restoration mode with its own team of employees applying precision and urgency with its emergency response plan.”

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. Members also use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date. 

SECO Energy’s Hurricane Handbook includes how to prepare for before, during and after a storm. “Like” SECO Energy on Facebook and follow @SECOEnergy on Twitter for prize drawings, news releases, and severe weather alerts affecting SECO Energy’s service territory. Manage your outage notification preferences at StormCenter. To see when SECO Energy crews/contractors are working in your area, visit our new System Improvement map. To learn more about SECO Energy as a not-for-profit cooperative, visit SECOEnergy.com > Your Co-op > About.

SECO Energy is a not-for-profit electric cooperative serving more than 220,000 homes and businesses across the Florida counties of Sumter, Citrus, Marion, Lake, Levy, Pasco and Hernando. SECO is the third-largest electric co-op in Florida and the seventh-largest in the nation. SECO’s wholesale power provider is Seminole Electric, one of the largest generation and transmission cooperatives in the nation, serving 1.9 million consumers in Florida. Seminole is owned by nine electric distribution cooperatives, and SECO is one of those nine member-owners. In addition to ranking highest in customer satisfaction in the 2015, 2016 and 2017 J.D. Power study, SECO’s 2021 ACSI rating is 91. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

“Like” SECO Energy on Facebook and follow @SECOEnergy on Twitter for prize drawings, news releases, and severe weather alerts affecting SECO Energy’s service territory. Manage your outage notification preferences at StormCenter. To see reliability and expansion projects in your area, visit our new System Improvement map. To learn more about SECO Energy as a not-for-profit cooperative, visit SECOEnergy.com > Your Co-op > About.

November 10, 2022 – Hurricane Nicole made landfall on Florida’s east coast as a category one storm overnight.  Wind and rain bands quickly began crossing SECO Energy service territory. The not-for-profit cooperative’s infrastructure currently has 1,476 members without power and a total of 120 individual outages.  Bands will circle throughout the day bringing continued wind and rain.

When winds reach 35 mph, line and tree crews must discontinue restoration efforts for safety reasons.  Since the wind and rain began overnight, SECO has only had to intermittently discontinue restoration efforts due to winds.  SECO crews and contractor line/tree crews will work round the clock until the last member has service restored. Members can use StormCenter, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date.

CEO Curtis Wynn assured members that SECO Energy is well prepared for this late-season storm. Wynn stated, “We are StormReady and are responding to outages caused by Hurricane Nicole’s wind and rain bands. I urge our members to wait until after the bands pass to assess damage and to stay clear of any downed power lines. I also encourage members with smartphones and tablets to use StormCenter for their outage and restoration communication needs.”

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.

Major weather events can cause extended power outages. SECO Energy reminds members to follow safety protocols when using a generator during a power outage. Generators emit deadly carbon monoxide (CO) that is odorless and colorless. Thousands of people die each year from CO poisoning. Never operate a generator in an enclosed space, including a garage. Always place the generator at least 15 to 20 feet away from your home and never near open windows.

Before operating a generator, thoroughly read and review the owner’s manual. Never plug a generator directly into an electrical outlet. This current flow is deadly for utility personnel. Keep children away from an operating generator and store fuel in approved containers. Do not smoke while fueling a generator. Always operate a generator in a dry space. If it is raining, use a canopy or cover. SECO Energy’s Hurricane Handbook includes generator safety tips and how to prepare for before, during and after a storm.

“Like” SECO Energy on Facebook and follow @SECOEnergy on Twitter for prize drawings, news releases, and severe weather alerts affecting SECO Energy’s service territory. Manage your outage notification preferences at StormCenter. To see reliability and expansion projects in your area, visit our new System Improvement map. To learn more about SECO Energy as a not-for-profit cooperative, visit SECOEnergy.com > Your Co-op > About.

November 9, 2022 – SECO Energy is tracking Tropical Storm Nicole as it speeds up toward Florida’s east coast. Nicole is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall overnight.  As the storm arrives in SECO’s service area, members will experience widespread rains and gusty winds that can cause downed trees and power outages.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast at 7 AM showed Nicole with 70 mph sustained winds and movement west-southwest at 13 mph.  Nicole is forecast to make landfall on the east coast overnight tonight as a Category 1 hurricane.

There are varying forecasts on the impact to SECO territory.  The actual path of Nicole across Florida will ultimately determine the impacts to SECO.  The worst-case scenario is 50 mph or higher sustained winds across SECO’s system. The best-case scenario is 25 mph winds.  Today, SECO will be strategically staging its Operations employees, preparing its existing contracted line/tree crews and seeking additional mutual aid from other organizations.

Current School Closure Announcements:

Lake County: Thursday and Friday

Marion County: Thursday

Sumter County: Thursday and Friday

Citrus County: None published at this time

CEO Curtis Wynn assured members that SECO Energy is prepared for Tropical Storm Nicole. Wynn stated, “SECO Energy is keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Nicole. We are StormReady and prepared to respond to outages caused by tropical storms and hurricanes. Late season storm activity reminds us to stay vigilant for the possibility that a hurricane or tropical storm will head our way. Models have continued to shift, so the ultimate track and landfall remain unknown. I urge you to be prepared for the storm’s effects in our service area.”

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.

Major weather events can cause extended power outages. SECO Energy reminds members to follow safety protocols when using a generator during a power outage. Generators emit deadly carbon monoxide (CO) that is odorless and colorless. Thousands of people die each year from CO poisoning. Never operate a generator in an enclosed space, including a garage. Always place the generator at least 15 to 20 feet away from your home and never near open windows.

Before operating a generator, thoroughly read and review the owner’s manual. Never plug a generator directly into an electrical outlet. This current flow is deadly for utility personnel. Keep children away from an operating generator and store fuel in approved containers. Do not smoke while fueling a generator. Always operate a generator in a dry space. If it is raining, use a canopy or cover. SECO Energy’s Hurricane Handbook includes generator safety tips and how to prepare for before, during and after a storm.

“Like” SECO Energy on Facebook and follow @SECOEnergy on Twitter for prize drawings, news releases, and severe weather alerts affecting SECO Energy’s service territory. Manage your outage notification preferences at StormCenter. To see reliability and expansion projects in your area, visit our new System Improvement map. To learn more about SECO Energy as a not-for-profit cooperative, visit SECOEnergy.com > Your Co-op > About.

SECO Energy is tracking Tropical Storm Nicole as it slowly nears Florida’s east coast. Tropical Storm Nicole is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before potentially making landfall early Thursday morning.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for much of Florida’s east coast and the Bahamas. TS Nicole is a large storm that is expected to bring storm surge, rain and wind. The storm is moving slowly west at 9 mph. The latest National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast puts the storm east of the Bahamas and Florida.

SECO Energy’s service territory could begin to feel the effects of Tropical Storm Nicole early Wednesday morning. If the storm strengthens into a Category 1 hurricane, it will have maximum sustained winds of up to 95 mph. As the storm arrives in SECO’s service area, members will experience widespread heavy rains and gusty winds that can cause downed trees and power outages for members.

CEO Curtis Wynn assured members that SECO Energy is prepared for Tropical Storm Nicole. Wynn stated, “SECO Energy is keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Nicole. We are StormReady and prepared to respond to outages caused by tropical storms and hurricanes. Late season storm activity reminds us to stay vigilant for the possibility that a hurricane or tropical storm will head our way. Models have continued to shift, so the ultimate track and landfall are unknown. I urge you to be prepared for the storm’s effects in our service area.”

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.

Major weather events can cause extended power outages. SECO Energy reminds members to follow safety protocols when using a generator during a power outage. Generators emit deadly carbon monoxide (CO) that is odorless and colorless. Thousands of people die each year from CO poisoning. Never operate a generator in an enclosed space, including a garage. Always place the generator at least 15 to 20 feet away from your home and never near open windows.

Before operating a generator, thoroughly read and review the owner’s manual. Never plug a generator directly into an electrical outlet. This current flow is deadly for utility personnel. Keep children away from an operating generator and store fuel in approved containers. Do not smoke while fueling a generator. Always operate a generator in a dry space. If it is raining, use a canopy or cover. SECO Energy’s Hurricane Handbook includes generator safety tips and how to prepare for before, during and after a storm.

“Like” SECO Energy on Facebook and follow @SECOEnergy on Twitter for prize drawings, news releases, and severe weather alerts affecting SECO Energy’s service territory. Manage your outage notification preferences at StormCenter. To see reliability and expansion projects in your area, visit our new System Improvement map. To learn more about SECO Energy as a not-for-profit cooperative, visit SECOEnergy.com > Your Co-op > About.