While most attention is on a look back at Hurricane Ivan 10 years ago, Gulf Power continues to look ahead, preparing should another storm that size hit Northwest Florida.

Ivan unleashed unprecedented damage to Gulf Power’s system when it hit Sept. 16, 2004. About 90 percent of the company’s customers lost power and 80 percent of the power grid was damaged. With the help of more than 5,000 outside workers, employees restored power to nearly 365,000 customers in 13 days.

“We were able to restore hope to customers in a short amount of time given the size of the damage,” said Wendell Smith, VP-Power Delivery. “We learned a lot from Ivan and we’ve taken those lessons and used them to be ready for the next storm.”

Here are 10 storm-ready improvements Gulf Power has made in the last 10 years:

1. Reliability has increased by 32 percent since Hurricanes Ivan and Dennis. In addition, the utility is in the middle of the largest power grid construction project in company history to ensure reliability stays high.

2. Storm hardening efforts make Gulf Power’s grid more resilient than ever. The utility has added 10,000 new stronger poles to support hospitals and other critical services.

3. New smart grid technology helps shorten power outages and reduce the number of customers who lose power.

4. An online outage map helps customers see where the power is out on their computer or mobile device.

5. A new storm center now serves as the central hub where Gulf Power coordinates all major storm restoration efforts.

6. More resources have been given to trimming trees that during a storm could become problematic near power lines. In addition, the utility has stepped up its inspections of poles and transmission lines.

7. Efficient coordination with local, state and federal governments help ensure customers have the most reliable and efficient restoration of their electrical service. 

8. Gulf Power works with outside utilities to assist in the event of a storm. Plans are now in place to accommodate up to 10,000 outside workers.

9. Gulf Power line crews and support personnel hone their skills by assisting other utilities in storm restoration.

10. In the unlikely event that a local power plant is damaged from a storm, Gulf Power can now bring in electricity — through the power grid — from out-of-area generation sources.

The upgrades have already been a part of Gulf Power’s improvement in reliability since Ivan. 

“These improvements should help us better withstand hurricanes,” Smith said. “If necessary, we could more than double the number of outside crews we bring in to help get the power back on for customers. Restoration after a big storm is always a massive undertaking, but our employees are committed to doing everything they can to restore power to customers, whether it’s a hurricane or a summer thunderstorm.