Power Restoration Complete in Areas Hit by Hurricane Dennis

--Governor Bush heralds round-the-clock efforts to return power—

TALLAHASSEE – Since Hurricane Dennis made landfall in Florida on July 10, power has been restored to over 99 percent of the more than 279,000 customers affected by the storm.

“I commend Florida’s utility companies for their hard work restoring services to those impacted by Dennis,” said Governor Jeb Bush. “As we proceed through the recovery process, the state will continue to provide our impacted communities with unwavering support and assistance.”

“Floridians have demonstrated patience and understanding during this hurricane season,” said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Colleen M. Castille. “Our ability to work together and quickly return power to our communities is a testament to the resiliency of our residents, businesses and emergency responders.”

Power outages in the southern and panhandle regions of Florida affected customers with FPL, TECO and Gulf Power, as well as cooperative and municipal customers. With more than 279,000 customers out of service, 48 counties were affected during Hurricane Dennis. More than 4,300 outside workers joined Gulf Power’s 1,400 employees to undertake the massive job of removing trees from power lines, restringing wire, replacing broken poles and replacing damaged transformers and other equipment. Just over a week after the storm, power is restored to over 99 percent of homes and businesses with the capacity to receive power.

As work continues across the State, officials advise taking the following safety precautions:

• Avoid downed power lines or objects nearby.
• Avoid walking or driving through standing water.
• Follow all directions when operating an emergency generator.
• Do not turn power on in your home if the area is flooded.

For more information visit, www.floridadisaster.org.

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