TAMPA, Fla. — With widespread power outages throughout the region after Hurricane Ian, Tampa Electric provided an update Friday afternoon that said they anticipate the “vast majority of customers” will have electricity restored by Sunday night.
Some portions of Polk County and eastern Hillsborough County, which had more damage, will take a bit longer with power restoration expected by Monday night.
Others with more complex damage, however, could take even longer.
As of 1 p.m. Friday, Tampa Electric notes that power had already been restored to more than 126,000 customers – which represents 43 percent of those impacted.
“We are making significant progress around the clock to restore power, and we won’t stop until we’ve restored every customer,” said Archie Collins, president and chief executive officer of Tampa Electric in a statement. “We know that customers are trying to get life back to normal, and having electricity is a key part of that. Thank you for your patience.”
Tampa Electric says crews began restoring power to customers early Thursday morning with approximately 295,000 of their customers in the dark.
“Due to the magnitude of the storm and the repairs required, restoration will require thousands of individual repairs,” Tampa Electric noted. “About 3,000 crew members, from utilities as far away as Oklahoma, Texas and Indiana, are in the field today to assist Tampa Electric. These responders include teams of lineworkers, tree trimmers and damage assessors.”
You can monitor and track the outages in your neighborhood using the outage map here, which includes an estimated restoration time.
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.