Face to Face with FPL: Florida Power and Light sets up mobile support on Fort Myers Beach

Writer: Elizabeth Biro
Published: Updated:

After Hurricane Ian, there was darkness and an eerie silence.

Without power and light, hope seemed dim.

But 8 days after the storm, on October 7, Florida Power and Light restored power to 99% of its customers.

“When you actually turn power back onto people I’ve been places where you can hear cheers in the background – happy faces,” said Michael Woodruff with FPL of Northern Indiana.

The power coming back on was a literal beacon of light guiding us toward the end of the tunnel.

“I just love that FPL was able to get down here so fast after I squeaked a little because just I’m a little mouse. I ain’t nothing, but they came down and took care of this,” said Woodruff.

On Wednesday, FPL was boots on the ground again with energy expert Depri Hammond on Fort Myers Beach, ready to offer solutions.

“We’ve been out here the past few Wednesdays and just want to let the community know that we are out here for support and just having a face and a human on-site to be able to speak to,” said Hammond.

They answered questions about billing, meters, energy efficiency, and rebuilding. Despite major restoration after the storm, there are still people on the island in need.

FPL spokesperson Bianca Soriano told WINK News Reporter Liz Biro the people of Fort Myers Beach are also the focus.

But why are some people still without power more than 18 months after the storm?

“It’s more customers understanding what’s next, at what point they are in the process, and who they need to connect with, whether it be FPL or the municipality,” said Soriano.

FPL plans to be out on Fort Myers Beach every Wednesday until people stop showing up.

Right now, they are just on Fort Myers Beach, but they told WINK News reporter Liz Biro to pass along the message that if you don’t live on the island and you or your neighbors have questions, you can reach out to FPL, and they can do a similar mobile set-up for your neighborhood.

They understand face-to-face conversations are easier than over the phone.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.