Florida Left in the Dark: Hurricane Milton’s Trail of Destruction Ignites Fierce Power Restoration Battle

The effects of devastating Hurricane Milton are leaving the Sunshine State of Florida in oppressive darkness. Duke Energy, one of the largest utilities in the United States, faces the daunting challenge of restoring power to affected areas. The company is estimating at least four days to restore electricity to many of its customers after the widespread power outages caused by the hurricane. The storm, which hit the west coast of Florida on Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane and moved into the Atlantic shortly afterwards, caused significant damage, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC). It left behind not only flooded areas, but also deadly hurricanes that killed at least 16 people. According to Duke Energy forecasts, power is expected to be restored in 12 counties no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on October 13th. However, in particularly hard-hit Pasco and Pinellas counties, residents will have to wait until at least 11:59 p.m. ET on October 15. Currently, at least 750,391 customers are still without power, according to Duke Energy’s outage map. Current numbers from PowerOutage.us indicate that a total of 2.2 million Florida homes and businesses are affected by power outages. In addition to Duke Energy, energy provider Florida Power & Light Company has also been hit hard, with 677,681 customers waiting for electricity.