Tampa Electric is making significant progress after Hurricane Ian, restoring power to more than 80 percent of the customers affected by the storm as of 4 p.m. Saturday.
By 5 p.m. today – 55 hours since the restoration process began – Tampa Electric has restored power to 243,000 customers, or 82 percent of those affected by the storm. Thousands of lineworkers, tree trimmers and other personnel are working around the clock in 16-hour shifts to restore power quickly and safely to the 52,000 customers who remain without power.
Tampa Electric expects to restore power to the vast majority of customers by Sunday night. Some portions of Polk County and eastern Hillsborough County, which had more damage, should be restored by Monday night. Some customers with more complex damage may take longer to restore.
“We are making substantial and steady progress, and our focus is on the customers who are still patiently waiting for power to be restored,” said Archie Collins, president and chief executive officer of Tampa Electric. “There is nothing more important to us than getting your power back on, as safely and quickly as possible. Thank you for your continued patience, and rest assured, the employees of Tampa Electric will continue working day and night until your power is restored.”
At this stage of restoration, essential services and most large residential circuits have been restored. This weekend, crew members are restoring power to residential neighborhoods in harder-hit areas, as well as more complex repairs throughout the service area.
Customer Service has 24-hour coverage – and extra staff on hand – to take emergency and outage-related calls. The company also has assistance from other utilities to take weather-related calls. For customers with non-storm-related calls, please consider calling later in the week.
As the company focuses on helping customers recover from Hurricane Ian, TECO is temporarily suspending disconnections for nonpayment. For customers who may need additional help due to impacts from the storm, click here to learn how to apply for Federal Emergency Management Assistance after Hurricane Ian.
Tampa Electric offers customers several ways to report power outages:
- The fastest, easiest way to report an outage is to visit tecoaccount.com/outage.
- Also, enroll in Power Updates from tecoaccount.com to text outage reports or get service updates via text, phone or email.
- Update the phone number and email associated with your account at www.tecoaccount.com/yourprofile. This helps when you report an outage.
- Residential and commercial customers may call Tampa Electric’s dedicated toll-free automated power outage phone system at 1-877-588-1010 to report a power outage or electric emergency.
Customers can monitor and track outages in their neighborhoods through the outage map at tampaelectric.com/outagemap. The map displays the cause, status and estimated restoration time. Tampa Electric will also use Facebook, Twitter, and Nextdoor to keep customers informed about outage restoration.
Tampa Electric would like to remind customers to be safe after a storm:
- Remember to keep away from downed power lines and urge others to be extremely cautious. Downed lines should be reported to TECO immediately at 813-223-0800.
- Smell gas? Act fast. The odor of rotten eggs is an indicator that a natural gas line might be damaged. Immediately move to safety and call 911, then call Peoples Gas at 877-832-6747. Emergency calls are answered 24/7/365.
- Remember to use portable generators safely. Plug your appliances directly into the generator. DO NOT connect your portable generator into your home’s circuits. Connecting your generator to the circuits may cause power to flow to outside lines, posing life-threatening danger to restoration crews. If you are unsure, please consult with a licensed electrician.
- Portable generators must not be taken into homes or any enclosed space (like a garage) where deadly carbon monoxide gas could build up.
- Stay out of floodwaters, as they can hide energized power lines or put you at risk of drowning.
- Be cautious when outside as tree limbs may have become loose and could fall without warning.
Tampa Electric, one of Florida’s largest investor-owned electric utilities, serves more than 810,000 customers in West Central Florida. Tampa Electric is a subsidiary of Emera Inc., a geographically diverse energy and services company headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
