WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — As Hurricane Idalia bears down on Florida, electric crews are preparing for the storm's wrath.
About 12,000 Florida Power & Light crew members hit the road this week, heading to areas expected to see the most damage from the storm.
An FPL spokesperson told WPTV that their power restoration workforce has 18 staging and processing sites throughout Florida for crews to be on standby.
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As Idalia closes in, Florida ramps up efforts to protect residents
Each site is in an area close to the storm without being in the direct path, allowing crews to respond to outages quickly once the storm has passed.
"As Hurricane Idalia intensifies and quickly approaches Florida, we urge customers to prioritize their safety," FPL President and CEO Armando Pimentel said. "Resist the temptation to trim trees or clear debris in these final hours before landfall. In the aftermath of the storm, do not approach downed power lines or try to walk through flooded areas. We prepare all year for hurricane season, and we are ready to bring the lights back on for customers safely and as quickly as possible and get through these challenging days ahead together."
FPL also said they're continuing to monitor the storm and finalizing their impact plan.
Idalia is forecast to become a Category 3 storm with winds of at least 111 mph before making landfall near Florida's Big Bend region sometime Wednesday morning.
