FPL has activated its emergency response plan for Hurricane Dorian and is preparing for projected landfall

JUNO BEACH, Fla., Aug. 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As Hurricane Dorian gathers strength, Florida Power & Light Company is preparing for a projected landfall in our service area and urges customers to prepare now for power outages.

"We're taking Hurricane Dorian seriously and have activated our emergency response plan in anticipation of its impact on our service area. We're actively working with other utilities from across the United States to secure additional crews and equipment and pre-positioning resources in advance of the storm's landfall, so we are ready to respond as soon as it is safe to do so," said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL. "While Dorian's path remains uncertain, it is forecast to be a dangerous major storm. Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for counties along the east coast of Florida, and we're coordinating with state and county emergency operations centers. Now is not the time to be complacent: we urge our customers to take this storm seriously, make final preparations and keep safety top of mind."

"FPL operates more than 48,000 miles of overhead power lines surrounded by millions of trees. Storms are nature's way of clearing debris, and as we saw with Hurricane Irma in 2017, it is likely that Florida's lush landscape will cause outages and restoration challenges," added Silagy. "Since 2006, FPL has made enhancements to build a stronger, smarter and more storm-resilient grid to deliver electricity our customers can count on in good weather and bad. We also proactively clear tree branches, palm fronds and other vegetation from more than 15,000 miles of power lines every year. These investments paid off for customers following Irma and shaved days off the restoration. Again, with a storm of Dorian's potential magnitude, we expect outages to occur, but these investments will help speed our restoration process."

FPL urges customers to review their family and business emergency plans, keep a close watch on the development of the storm and follow the advice of local, state and federal elected officials. Preparation and safety tips are available at FPL.com/Storm.

FPL is proactively reaching out to customers via automated information calls, emails or text messages in advance of Dorian's projected landfall.

Additional resources

• How FPL prepares for storm season – https://www.fpl.com/storm/pdf/HowWePrepareForStormSeason.pdf
• How FPL restores power – https://www.fpl.com/storm/pdf/HowWeRestorePower.pdf
• Stay safe before a storm – https://www.fpl.com/storm/pdf/PleaseStaySafeBeforeTheStorm.pdf

Customers can download the FPL app for on-the-go, instant and secure access to their accounts. Customers can report or get the latest information on an outage. The app is available for download in the iOS App Store and Google Play. To quickly download the FPL app, text the word "App" to MyFPL (69375). Customers also can sign up for storm updates by texting the word "Join" to MyFPL (69375).

How to stay informed
FPL communicates restoration information to customers frequently through the news media and the following resources:

• FPL website: FPL.com
• Twitter: twitter.com/insideFPL
• Facebook: facebook.com/FPLconnect
• FPL blog: FPLblog.com
• FPL Power Tracker: FPL.com/powertracker
• FPL app: Download from the App Store or Google Play, or text the word "App" to MyFPL (69375)

Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the largest energy company in the United States as measured by retail electricity produced and sold, serving more than 5 million customer accounts or an estimated 10 million+ people across the state of Florida. FPL's typical 1,000-kWh residential customer bill is approximately 30 percent lower than the latest national average and among the lowest in the U.S. FPL's service reliability is better than 99.98 percent, and its highly fuel-efficient power plant fleet is one of the cleanest among all electric companies nationwide. The company was recognized in 2018 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities by Market Strategies International for the fifth consecutive year. A leading Florida employer with approximately 8,700 employees, FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, ethics and diversity, and has been ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune's 2019 list of "World's Most Admired Companies." NextEra Energy is also the parent company of Gulf Power Company, which serves more than 460,000 customers in eight counties throughout Northwest Florida, and NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.GulfPower.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

SOURCE Florida Power & Light Company