Gulf Power announces that more than 95% of customers who can receive power in Panama City Beach east of Highway 79 to the Hathaway Bridge have been restored 18 hours before estimated restoration time.

This brings the total number of customers who have been restored since Hurricane Michael’s landfall on Wednesday to approximately 62,000. Work continues around the clock as crews repair and rebuild the electric infrastructure in the areas severely affected by the wrath of Hurricane Michael.

"Our ability to get the lights on even quicker than our earlier estimate on Panama City Beach is a testament to the great teamwork and commitment of the entire team from across the country that have come to assist us.” said Adrianne Collins, vice president of Power Delivery. "We are glad to get these homes and businesses powered up and together, we will continue the work to restore hope to all of the families we serve.”

Estimated Restoration Times – View map for a visual of estimated restoration times
 

·         NEW: 95% of Panama City Beach east of Highway 79 to the Hathaway Bridge has been restored.

·         COMPLETE: 95% of Panama City Beach west of Highway 79 has been restored.

·         Washington, Jackson and Holmes counties in the following areas:

o  Areas north of I-10 in Bonifay and Chipley, and all of Caryville, Graceville and Campbellton are estimated to be restored by midnight, Oct. 17.

o  Vernon, Sunny Hills and the surrounding areas south of I-10 are estimated to be restored by midnight, Oct. 18.

o  Customers who live in the Cypress and Apalachee areas with a mailing address of Sneads, Florida, served by Gulf Power, are estimated to be restored by midnight, Oct. 19

·         Downtown Panama City, Callaway, Parker, Lynn Haven, Youngstown and surrounding areas are estimated to be restored by midnight, Oct. 24. 

*The above estimated restoration times are for 95% of customers who are able to take service. As work progresses, we will continue to update and adjust estimated restoration times for specific areas.

Current storm-related outage total as of 8 a.m. CDT

Frequently Asked Questions about this restoration effort
 

How is power being restored following Hurricane Michael?

The restoration and rebuilding process began with our transmission lines. Transmission lines are the larger lines on the taller poles that bring power from our generating plants to the substations. Planes and drones have flown the lines, inspected for damage and transmission crews are in the process of repairing any damage.

While the transmission lines are being repaired, substation crews are simultaneously inspecting and repairing our substations. Substations step down the voltage of the electricity from the power plants to a level that is usable in homes and businesses.

While repairs are being made to the substations, crews are also inspecting and repairing the distribution lines, which carry electricity from our substations to homes and businesses.

Is there priority given to certain facilities or locations during a widescale restoration?

After facilities to make and move power are repaired – power plants, transmission lines and substations – the focus shifts to emergency responders such as facilities critical to public health and safety like hospitals, police and fire stations, water reclamation sites and communications systems. Following emergency service restoration is the large service areas which, when restored, will energize large amounts of customers efficiently.

What do you mean by “those able to accept power”?

Some homes and businesses are so damaged that crews are unable to connect power. Please call Gulf Power at 1-800-487-6937 and a representative can help you determine if your home or business can receive power.

Everyone on my street has power but me. Why?

Most likely, either your service line from the pole is disconnected or your home has damage to your weather head mast or meter box. That equipment is your responsibility to repair. Please call Gulf Power at 1-800-487-6937 to report your outage.

Why did my power come back on and then go off later?

There are several reasons why your power can go off temporarily after restoration.  Power to your area may have been shut off in order to safely restore service to other areas or there may have been residual damage that occurred such as a tree limb falling on a power line.

Sometimes I see crews parked. Why?

Some of the reasons why there may be a crew parked are that they may have finished their prior assignment and are reviewing their next assignment, they may be requesting additional equipment and materials, or they may need to wait for electrical switching to occur to make the line safe or energize them.

Why are crews leaving my neighborhood when power is still out?

The crews may need to pick up more supplies to continue restoration, conditions have become unsafe, or repairs are still underway to other portions of the system, such as transmission lines or substations.

There is a lot of damage in the area, including downed lines in my neighborhood.  Am I able to move these or do I need to wait for trained personnel to assist?

Stay clear of areas where there is a lot of debris or downed trees because it could conceal an energized power line. Also stay clear of chain link fences which may be energized if touching a downed line.

Treat any downed wire as if it is energized because you can’t tell by looking if a downed wire is live or not. Telephone or cable television wires that are touching a power line could become energized and should also be avoided. Call 911 to report the location of any downed lines.

Standing water (puddles from flooding) may be energized from a downed line. Be careful not to touch or step in water near where a downed power line is located. If a downed line is near water — even a small puddle — keep well away.

Don’t attempt to repair the electrical system or pull tree limbs off lines. Let our trained work crews perform this potentially dangerous work.

Stay Connected with Gulf Power

·         To get the latest updates on outages, customers can download Gulf Power’s app and access the outage map for the latest restoration information. The app is free and available for iPhone and Android. Just search for “Gulf Power” in iTunes or the Google Play Store.

·         Visit MyGulfPower.com and click on the outage map for restoration updates.

·         Customers can follow Gulf Power updates on Facebook or Twitter – #RebuildingTogether #RestoringHope #PowerofTeamwork #FloridaStrong

·         Sign up for free PowerOut alerts through your cell phone by texting REG to MyGulf (694853). Or, visit the Preference Center in the My Account area of MyGulfPower.com to choose whether to receive texts alerts, emails or phone calls with outage updates.

·         Gulf Power knows when your power is out. However, you can call 1-800-487-6937 if you have any questions about your outage.

Resources

• Watch how power is restored.
• See more preparation and safety tips here.
• Customers can get more detailed storm preparation information on the Gulf Power Storm Ready Center webpage.