Florida Power & Light customers across several counties are experiencing widespread outages as strong winds and extreme cold weather strain the electrical grid.
The utility company reports that recent outages have been driven largely by strong winds that damaged local power lines and related equipment, combined with increased electricity demand from heating systems during the cold snap.
"Outages have primarily been the result of strong winds impacting local power lines and associated equipment," FPL spokesperson Conlan Kennedy said in a statement to WPTV.
Kennedy explained that extreme cold weather creates additional challenges for the power grid. During cold snaps, home heating systems can use two to three times more electricity than air conditioning, placing added strain on neighborhood equipment and contributing to localized outages.
"Our crews are working to restore service in these situations as quickly as possible," Kennedy said.
As of the latest update, outage numbers vary significantly across the region. Palm Beach County leads with 2,929 customers without power, followed by Indian River County with 2,127 outages and Martin County with 1,164. Okeechobee County has 38 customers affected, while St. Lucie County currently reports no outages.
Customers experiencing power outages should report them at FPL.com or by calling 1-800-4OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243). The most up-to-date outage map and information are available at FPL.com/PowerTracker.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
