The FPL Mobile Command Center deploys to hard-hit areas following hurricanes and severe weather to coordinate restoration with advanced tools. PHOTO PROVIDED

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — In an effort to ensure county residents are not left without power for days in the aftermath of a hurricane, Florida Power & Light crews have upgraded more than 2,000 power poles to have reinforced wood, steel or concrete. The crews also installed smart grid devices on the power poles throughout Indian River County.

“The smart grid technology allows us to reroute power if lightning hits our equipment (to prevent more widespread interruptions),” said Kamrel Eppinger, a senior communications strategist with FPL. “The technology isolates the outage or avoids outages altogether. (The devices) will de-energize and re-energize a power line by itself.”

FPL has more than 227,000 smart grid technology devices installed throughout Florida, Eppinger said. The devices are located on the power lines, whether they are overhead or run underground.

FPL officials said they work year-round on implementing improvements to prevent outages and provide faster response times. The smart grid instruments are tools to put that plan into action, officials with the power company say.

“(The devices) allow us to get lights back on faster for customers following a severe storm or hurricane,” Eppinger said. “We’re improving reliability for our customers while keeping the bills below the national average.”

The smart grid technology prevented more than 800,000 outages across Florida during last year’s hurricane season, officials said.

Crews also use the Storm Secure Underground Program where neighborhood power lines are safely buried beneath the ground. Installing underground lines help crews avoid the leading cause of power outages – trees and vegetation coming into contact with overhead lines.

Eppinger said FPL crews have completed 167 neighborhood underground line projects in Indian River County. There are 6,653 local customers served on the underground lines.

“We have 95 miles of underground lines in Indian River County. We’re taking overhead lines in neighborhoods and putting them underground. We plan to do more this year” Eppinger said. “We’ve seen underground lines perform 50 percent better than overhead powerlines. ”

The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 to November 30, according to the National Hurricane Center. The peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season is typically mid-September, with most activity happening between mid-August and mid-October.

Eppinger said FPL crews learned that no grid is storm proof after 2024’s Hurricane Milton spawned several tornadoes that swept throughout the state, including at least six in Indian River County. Several residents in Indian River County lost power for days after the tornadoes destroyed homes and businesses.

No fatalities were reported in Indian River County after the tornado outbreak.

On May 8, FPL conducted its annual storm drill in West Palm Beach. Crews underwent a week-long training where they simulated a multi-day restoration effort following a storm, and tested new resources, tools and technologies to find ways for faster response times.

“It is extremely important that we make sure that new folks in roles understand the processes, understand the tools and we are getting ready for our customers once the storm season begins,” said Ed De Varona, FPL vice-president of power delivery.

Power outages

To report a power outage, call 1-800-4-OUTAGE
To track power outages, visit FPLmaps.com or download the FPL mobile app

Safety tips for hurricane season

Know your zone: Find out if you live in an evacuation zone by contacting local authorities
Have a family emergency plan
Put together an emergency supplies kit: water, food, batteries, flashlight, first-aid kit, generators, storm shutters (use generators outside and away from windows, do not use candles)
Review homeowners’ insurance
Understand the National Weather Service forecast alerts, especially the meaning of watches and warnings
Follow local news, radio, or law enforcement for updates.

More storm safety tips can be found here.

: FPL collects damage-assessment data using drone technology to help assess the electric grid following a storm prior to impassable areas being cleared.

: FPL’s Storm Secure Underground Program leverages data such as historical outages during hurricanes and vegetation-related outages to strategically put neighborhood power lines underground.

: FPL’s Storm Secure Underground Program leverages data such as historical outages during hurricanes and vegetation-related outages to strategically put neighborhood power lines underground.

: FPL’s smart grid technology helps the company restore power faster following hurricanes and severe weather while even preventing some outages altogether.

: The FPL Mobile Command Center deploys to hard-hit areas following hurricanes and severe weather to coordinate restoration with advanced tools.

: Hundreds of FPL employees respond to a mock hurricane scenario at the company’s Command Center located in Palm Beach County.

: Hundreds of FPL employees respond to a mock hurricane scenario at the company’s Command Center located in Palm Beach County.

: FPL President and CEO Armando Pimentel gives remarks at company’s annual Storm Dry Run Thursday, May 8, 2025.

: FPL Vice President of Power Delivery Ed De Varona speaks to the company’s electric grid enhancements during annual Storm Dry Run Thursday, May 8, 2025.

: Palm Beach County Emergency Management Director Mary Blakeney emphasizes preparedness for 2025 hurricane season during FPL’s annual Storm Dry Run on Thursday, May 8, 2025.

: The FPLAir Command Center, located at the company’s Command Center in Palm Beach County, manages drone inspections throughout FPL’s service area.