More than 6,000 field workers deployed for power restoration for customers affected by Isaac

JUNO BEACH, Fla., Aug. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- FPL has more than 6,000 field workers deployed to restore power for customers affected by Tropical Storm Isaac. About 4,300 of these workers are concentrated in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, the hardest hit by Isaac's high winds and torrential rains.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120301/FL62738LOGO )

Tropical Storm Isaac continues to cause outages throughout FPL's service territory.

"We understand how difficult it is to be without power, and we are committed to getting the lights back on for our customers as quickly as we can safely do so," said FPL President Eric Silagy. "Despite high winds, lightning, flooding and rain, we have been working around the clock, and we're not going to stop until everything is back to normal."

Isaac is a very large storm geographically, with tropical storm-force winds and torrential rains extending more than 300 miles from the center, causing wind gusts up to 65 miles an hour as well as flash flooding from Miami-Dade County to the Florida-Georgia border. Today, these bands of severe weather continue to impact Florida's electrical system.

So far, Isaac has caused power outages for about 293,000 customers across FPL's service territory since 6 a.m. Sunday. As of 1 p.m. Monday, FPL's crews had restored power for more than 219,000 customers. Nearly 80 percent of these customers were restored within six hours and more than 50 percent were restored within two hours.

As FPL completes restoration in communities that suffered storm damage, the company will redirect crews to parts of its service territory where customers are without power.

FPL advises customers to report power outages at www.FPL.com/reportoutage or by calling 1-800-4OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243). For information on outages, customers can go to www.fplmaps.com.

Hurricane Isaac – Outages by County
Aug. 27 – 1 p.m.

FPL urges customers to keep safety first.

• Stay far away from downed power lines, flooding and debris.
• Report downed power lines by calling 911 or FPL at 1-800-4OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243).
• Don't walk in standing water.
• Don't venture out in the dark because you might not see a downed power line that could be energized and dangerous.
• Strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions for proper use when operating a portable generator. Plug appliances directly into the generator, using extension cords, if necessary. Never wire a generator directly to a breaker or fuse box because power generated may flow back into power lines and cause injuries. Only a licensed electrician should connect a generator to a main electrical panel. Never operate a generator inside your home or garage, and keep generators well away from open windows to prevent exhaust from entering your home or a neighbor's home.
• When working on a ladder, look up and note the location of power lines before you begin. Be sure that ladders or scaffolds are far enough away so that you – and the ends of the tools you're using – don't come within 10 feet of power lines. Before lowering a TV antenna or satellite dish, be sure to turn off and unplug the TV, and avoid power lines.
• Ensure that all electric appliances, especially ovens and stoves, are in the "off" position to prevent fires if the power returns while these appliances are unattended.
• Use caution when driving. Power interruptions may cause traffic signals to stop working without warning. If you come to an intersection with a non-working traffic signal, Florida law requires you treat it as a four-way stop.

FPL is committed to keeping customers informed
When outages occur, FPL understands that its customers need to know when their power will be restored so they can plan. The company will communicate frequently through the news media and makes important information, including restoration times, available on the web. If customers don't have power, they can still access our websites through their mobile devices. Smart phone or tablets can be used to get information through such sites as:

• FPL website: www.FPL.com
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/insideFPL
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/FPLconnect
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/FPL
• FPL blog: www.FPLblog.com  
• FPL Power Tracker: www.FPLmaps.com

Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the largest rate-regulated electric utility in Florida and serves the third largest number of customers of any electric utility in the United States. FPL serves approximately 4.6 million customer accounts and is a leading Florida employer with approximately 10,000 employees as of year-end 2011. During the five-year period ended December 31, 2011, the company delivered the best service reliability among Florida investor-owned utilities, while its typical residential customer bills, based on data available in December 2011, are about 25 percent below the national average. A clean energy leader, FPL has one of the lowest emissions profiles and one of the leading energy efficiency programs among utilities nationwide. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Fla.-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE). For more information, visit www.FPL.com.

SOURCE Florida Power & Light Company