FKEC Prepares for Tropical Storm Eta

Posted: November 6, 2020 at 2:37 pm

Florida Keys Electric Cooperative is closely monitoring Tropical Storm Eta and taking necessary action to prepare for probable tropical force winds on Sunday and Monday.

Should our service area (Ocean Reef to Marathon) be impacted, FKEC crews will continue to restore power outages as usual until weather no longer permits safe working conditions. Please be advised, weather may cause unsafe working conditions for a lengthy period of time, extending power outages. For this reason, FKEC encourages all members to prepare to be without power when developing your storm plan. Once winds subside, crews will resume power restoration as safely and efficiently as possible.

FKEC will have additional staff working in the 24/7 System Operations Control Center, and all service crews will be standing by to restore power.

While we prepare, we encourage all our members to do the same. For more storm safety tips and a full explanation of FKEC’s restoration plan visit our online Storm Center.

If you experience a power outage, please use our automated phone system at (305) 852-2431 to report the problem. The automated service is the most efficient and accurate way to report your power outage. A live power outage map is also available on our website where you can view the status of power restoration work on your computer or mobile device.

Power restoration work is organized to restore power to the greatest number of members in the least amount of time. FKEC also prioritizes restoring power to life and safety situations and essential community services. Following this, crews work to restore power to individual members with isolated issues.

FKEC Storm Preparation Overview:
FKEC’s comprehensive storm plan focuses on readiness, restoration and recovery. Prior to every storm season, FKEC conducts extensive training to prepare employees to respond quickly and safely after a storm. The Cooperative also coordinate assistance agreements with other utilities for additional support, which enables FKEC to quickly deploy equipment and crews in the event a storm causes damage to our service territory.

FKEC also works closely with emergency operations officials to update lists of infrastructure and facilities that are critical to the community, such as hospitals, police, fire, communications, water treatment plants and transportation providers. This information is used to establish priorities for restoration in areas affected by a storm.