As hurricane season begins this Saturday, Tampa Electric Co. (TECO) is urging residents along Florida’s Gulf Coast to prepare for severe storms.
TECO reminds Floridians that hurricanes can strike at any time during the season, which lasts until the end of November. The company encourages residents to maintain year-round readiness but acknowledges that a timely reminder is helpful.
The utility has already activated its Storm Protection Program (SPP) to strengthen its system ahead of the season.
According to a TECO news release on Wednesday, the company invests hundreds of millions of dollars annually to protect the power grid from severe weather. Measures include placing power lines underground, reinforcing poles and substations, and trimming trees near power lines.
The Storm Protection Program aims to reduce power outages and restore service more quickly after storms. Of the 12,000 miles of power lines TECO manages, about half are underground. Since 2021, the company has moved over 200 miles of power lines underground. Tree-related outages have decreased by 60 percent since 2019.
In addition to these efforts, TECO advises residents to take simple steps to prepare. Customers can report and monitor outages through the company’s online outage map.
Residents may also text “OUT” to 27079 to notify the company of an outage or call TECO’s outage hotline at 1-877-588-588-1010. TECO will use social media to provide updates during storms.
TECO also reminds people to avoid downed power lines at all costs. If using a portable generator during an outage, residents should operate it outdoors in a dry area at least 20 feet from their home or any enclosed building. Generators should never be connected directly to a home’s electrical circuit. Instead, appliances must be plugged into the generator itself for safety.
