By Matthew Mpoke Bigg
Over 3.2 million residents in Florida were left powerless early Thursday due to Hurricane Milton, as reported by poweroutage.us, which compiles information from utility services.
The hurricane’s fierce winds brought down electrical lines and scattered debris, complicating repair efforts while utility crews dealt with a surge of requests for help.
Hardee County, situated approximately 40 miles inland from where the hurricane struck, seemed to be the most affected area, with 98% of residents there lacking electricity.
Across the state, over 25% of energy customers found themselves without power as of 6 a.m. Eastern time.
Late Wednesday, the Hardee County sheriff’s office reported that the area was “facing significant power outages and fallen debris.” Residents were advised to “stay indoors as the storm has yet to pass.”
On Thursday morning, the sheriff’s office stated: “Emergency responders are currently working to address the backlog of pending calls. Downed power lines, debris, and washed-out roads render driving hazardous. Please refrain from driving as it poses risks.”
As numerous residents and businesses relied on backup generators, coastal Manatee County — where over 80% of customers were without electricity — cautioned against using generators inside due to the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning.
“The unseen and odorless gas can accumulate in confined or partially confined areas,” the county government noted on social media. Carbon monoxide poisoning was a major factor in fatalities during a winter storm in Texas in 2021 that resulted in widespread power outages.
Utility companies usually prepare extensively ahead of severe storms to restore power swiftly after outages. Nevertheless, a recent report indicates that the likelihood of hurricane-related power outages may rise by 50% in some regions of the United States, including Puerto Rico, due to climate change.
In Polk County, located in central Florida, nearly half of the approximately 380,000 electricity consumers were without power Thursday morning. At least 20 emergency shelters were established in the area, and officials cautioned that heavy rain could result in potential sewer overflows.
Almost 30,000 of Osceola County’s more than 200,000 electricity customers were powerless as of 4 a.m. local time.
“Now is the moment to take shelter,” Paul Womble, the county’s emergency management director, informed reporters as Milton neared Polk County on Wednesday afternoon. “Conditions are unsafe, and the most intense part of the storm has yet to arrive.”
