
“We’ve learned a lot from the ’04 and ’05 storms,” said Manny Miranda, FPL’s vice president of power delivery. The company cleared vegetation from more than 100,000 miles of line, replaced or upgraded more than 95,000 utility poles, added flood monitors and storm-resistant doors to more than 200 substations and installed 4.6 million smart meters and other devices that give the company immediate notification of outages. This also will provide information on evacuations and shelters before the storm.ĮVACUATIONS: These actually may be less frequent, thanks to new storm-surge models that more precisely establish which areas could be in danger.ĮLECTRICITY: Florida Power & Light Co., which had faced severe criticism after the massive outages in Hurricane Wilma in 2005, has spent more than $1.4 billion to harden its system.
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Residents can submit photos of damage via an app called PBC DART, or Palm Beach County Disaster Assessment and Resource Tool, available for both iPhone and Android systems.

The county will know where the problem is as long as the location service on the resident’s device is activated.Ī Twitter room has been set up at the Palm Beach County Emergency Operations Center, where full-time staff will send out notices and monitor social media sites for word of any emergencies, said Vince Bonvento, assistant county administrator. After the storm, residents can use their phones to submit photos of damage using the new geocoded Home Damage Repair Program. At the Broward County Emergency Operations Center, about 40 volunteers have been trained to monitor Facebook and Twitter for information on people trapped, in need of food or dealing with other emergency situations, said emergency manager Miguel Ascarrunz. And while another season like 2004 still would be disastrous, we would have more warning and stand a better chance of returning faster to normal life.Įmergency managers also plan to rely heavily on social media to get the word out. It came to be known as the Year of the Four Hurricanes.įollowing that beating, and another one the next year with Hurricanes Wilma and Katrina, there have been dramatic improvements to our electric grid, shelters, forecasting abilities and ability to communicate. Jeanne struck the same area as Frances, turning out the lights in most of Palm Beach County, ripping off roofs and flooding houses. Ivan came ashore near Pensacola with 120-mile-per-hour winds and a storm surge that swamped coastal towns.

Then Frances pounded Martin and Palm Beach counties, collapsing part of Interstate 95 near Lake Worth and sending gusts into Broward that left a quarter-million people without electricity. Galleryįor six weeks, Florida reeled under the assault of four hurricanes.įirst Charley struck Port Charlotte Aug. Look at our photo gallery and add your photos.
