NewsU.S. and the World

Actions

Power expected to be mostly restored across Florida by Saturday

Tropical Weather Florida
Posted at 10:13 AM, Oct 03, 2022
and last updated 2022-10-03 16:56:44-04

Florida is working to restore power following the devastation from Hurricane Ian.

The storm left millions without power after it made landfall near Fort Myers on Sept. 28. As of Monday, 500,000 customers remained without power.

State officials laid out a timeline Monday for restoring power. It will continue to be restored all week— with hard-hit Lee and Collier Counties estimated to be 95% restored by Saturday.

Officials cautioned that the estimates only include locations that can accept power. Restoration in places like Sanibel Island, which is inaccessible by ground vehicle, will have to wait until access to the island can be established.

State officials added Monday that they are working just as quickly to restore running water to affected areas.

Access to gas has also caused frustration across Southwest Florida. Patrick DeHaan, who serves as head of petroleum analysis at Gas Buddy, says the Fort Myers-Naples area continues to see more than 40%. However, other areas, including Tampa, have continually seen fewer gas outages since Hurricane Ian hit.