Hurricane Ian has knocked out power to over 100,000 homes and businesses as it pushes onto land, according to Reuters.
Reporters reached out to local power and utility companies to confirm the statistic on Wednesday (September 28). Florida Power & Light Co. (FPL) reported the most outages and activated the emergency response plan, which will see over 13,000 personnel working to restore power, provide supplies, and coordinate with local emergency operations centers.
Duke Energy also has 10,000 personnel ready to address any issues that come up during Ian’s rampage, including lineworkers, tree professionals, damage assessment, and support specialists.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is mobilizing over 2,500 National Guard troops to address incidents like power outages and gasoline shortages during the disaster. Millions of Floridians were ordered to evacuate their homes and seek shelter.
“They stand by ready to help, so we appreciate that quick action,” DeSantis said during a Sunday (September 25) press briefing.
Ian strengthened into a Category 4 monster as it moves out of the Gulf of Mexico and into Florida’s west coast. It’s possible for it to become a Category 5 hurricane and change paths, experts warn. The storm is expected to lash the state with severe flooding, strong winds, and dangerous storm surges.