Tampa Electric has restored essentially all customers affected by Hurricane Milton. As of the morning of Wednesday, October 16, nearly 97% of Tampa Electric customers have power and 95% of customers impacted by the storm have had their service restored. Some remaining customers impacted by more complex or localized damage will take longer to restore; the company will continue working around the clock to address these outages.
“Our dedicated team is working tirelessly to address the challenging outages in areas with severe damage during these final days of restoration,” said Archie Collins, president and CEO of Tampa Electric. “With a full contingent of 6,000 utility workers in the field, we are committed to restoring service as quickly as possible after this devastating storm, which was the most powerful storm to hit this region in 100 years. While these remaining repairs tend to be more time-consuming, we will not stop until every customer is back online.”
Hurricane Milton delivered unprecedented devastation to central and southern Florida, with winds exceeding 100 mph and tornadoes causing widespread damage. The storm brought a 1-in-1,000-year rainfall event to parts of the Tampa Bay area, where the ground was already saturated from Hurricane Helene less than two weeks prior. The double dose of extreme weather led to innumerable fallen trees and significant flooding, complicating repair efforts in many parts of Tampa Electric’s service area.
Despite the challenges, Tampa Electric restored essentially all customers in Polk County by Sunday, October 13, and Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties by Wednesday morning, October 16. Extensive damage in Pasco County and pockets of Hillsborough County, added to the complexity of restoration efforts. Given the severity of the damage, work involved not only restoring existing infrastructure but also fully rebuilding it. In one area of Dade City, for example, the team replaced multiple poles and installed at least five miles of feeder wire. While initial damage assessments indicated restoration by Monday to Pasco County, the teams on the ground encountered more extensive damage from extreme winds, which appeared tornado-like in nature. Other harder-hit areas include northern Hillsborough County, South Tampa, Brandon and Valrico.
Complexity of Repairs
Crews have faced considerable challenges accessing utility poles due to persistent floodwaters, often having to wait for water levels to recede before resuming work. In many instances, teams are using boats to repair distribution lines that have fallen into rivers or specialized track vehicles to set poles in areas that are difficult to access with conventional four-wheel drive equipment. Even with these setbacks, Tampa Electric teams have successfully installed 605 transformers, over 1,500 cross arms and about 1,000 poles and over a hundred of miles of wire across its service area so far. Continuous shipments of equipment and materials were brought in to support the extensive reconstruction effort.
Important Safety Measures
It is important to note that customers who experienced extensive damage or flooding may require additional time for restoration and some should be prepared for extended outages. If the inability to restore power is due to damage to the meter base, breaker panel or customer-owned electrical wiring, customers should reach out to a licensed electrician. They can assess the damage and make necessary repairs to ensure safety and compliance with local codes. Visit TampaElectric.com/DamagedEquipment for more information.
How Restoration is Prioritized
After severe weather, utilities take a priority approach to power restoration so the community can recover quickly. First, power plants and transmission lines are brought into proper working order. Next are essential services like hospitals, police and fire stations. Then, the focus becomes public services such as communication providers, supermarkets and home building supply centers. As those outages are addressed, neighborhoods and residential lines become the focus. Tampa Electric operates approximately 800 circuits that deliver electricity to homes and businesses, each serving up to a thousand or more customers, and each requiring varying resources to repair. Circuits serving more customers and requiring less intensive repairs are prioritized, as this approach helps the community recover quicker. It is important to note that customers in the same neighborhood may be on different circuits, which explains why one neighbor may have power while another does not.
Customer Support
To assist during this time, Tampa Electric’s Customer Service team is available 24/7, with additional staff on hand to handle emergency and outage-related calls. For non-storm-related issues, customers are encouraged to call later in the week.
As part of its commitment to customer support, Tampa Electric is temporarily suspending disconnections for nonpayment while helping customers recover from Hurricane Milton. For customers who may need additional help due to impacts from the storm, visit DisasterAssistance.gov to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance.
Tampa Electric offers customers several ways to report power outages:
- Visit TECOaccount.com/Outage.
- Text OUT to 27079.
- Call 1-877-588-1010.
Customers can also visit TampaElectric.com/Notifications and sign up for free outage notifications by text, email or phone calls.
Tampa Electric would like to remind customers to use caution after a storm:
- Avoid downed power lines and urge others to stay away. Call 911 then call Tampa Electric.
- 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.
For safety tips, restoration status and other resources, visit TampaElectric.com/Storm or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Nextdoor.
Tampa Electric, one of Florida’s largest investor-owned electric utilities, serves more than 840,000 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.
Media Contact: Kim Selph 813-344-6694
