Crews from 30 states have converged on Southwest Florida to restore power after Hurricane Ian devastated the area. The work is precise and dangerous.
James Cordella and a line crew from New York state, awaiting the day's assignment in hurricane-stricken Cape Coral.
But Silagy says that prediction applies only to FPL customers whose homes and buildings can safely receive electricity. "All of our substations are energized. We're in great shape that way. It will just depend on access, getting access to the island," Ryan says."A utility truck weighs, I don't know, 13 tons. It's a lot. Just one truck. And you need a lot of trucks and you need a lot of equipment and concrete poles," Ryan says."So that's going to take time.
But the pay is good, which helps attract the out-of-state workers after a storm. In some cases, they make twice the money that they do at home. As if to illustrate the point, during the morning safety briefing, a passing motorist slows down and yells at Snider, demanding to know why all the trucks are still parked, instead of out working."Thank you very much for your input," Snider says flatly.The hundred trucks soon fan out. At this stage, LCEC has all its substations working, and the big remaining problem are the leaning or broken utility poles, draping power lines across roofs and yards.
Given the size and power of this storm, though, experts say it might have taken longer, if Florida utilities hadn't been hardening their systems in recent years. LCEC spokeswoman Karen Ryan says the recovery has been made easier because more lines are being placed underground, and they've also been using transformers that are hardened for Florida weather.
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