Keep your family and home safe during hurricane season

At FPL, safety is the cornerstone of our commitment to customers and employees. The destruction caused by Hurricane Ian less than a year ago shows the importance of proactively planning for the upcoming hurricane season. FPL urges Floridians to be prepared and to be aware of potential safety hazards at all times – before, during and after severe weather.

Below are tips to help you and your family stay safe during hurricane season.

Before a storm threatens 

·       Determine if your home or business is in a flood and/or evacuation zone and review evacuation routes.

• Develop your emergency plan and review it with your family.
• Photograph or record your home – inside and out – for insurance purposes.
• Determine your backup power source or make arrangements to relocate if a storm warning is issued and someone in your home is dependent on electric-powered, life-sustaining medical equipment.
• Clear tree and vegetation debris quickly. Trash pickup will be suspended when a hurricane warning is issued. Visit FPL.com/trees for more information on our tree trimming policies.
• DO NOT attempt to trim any vegetation growing on or near any overhead power lines. Only hire qualified professionals to trim trees and other vegetation near power lines.

Preparing for an approaching storm

• Turn off and unplug any unnecessary electrical equipment.
• Turn off all swimming pool pumps and filters and wrap them in waterproof materials.
• Set your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings ahead of time to keep food fresh longer in the event of a power outage.
• Look up and note the location of power lines before you begin working on a ladder. Be sure that ladders or scaffolds are far enough away so that you – and the ends of the tools you’re using – don’t come within 10 feet of power lines.
• Make sure to turn off and unplug your TV before lowering a TV antenna or satellite dish and avoid power lines.
• Store important documents in a waterproof container, including insurance policies, health cards, birth certificates, Social Security cards, list of important phone numbers and medications and a copy of your FPL bill.
• Bookmark FPL.com/outage and save 1-800-4-OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243) to your cell phone to report and check the status of your restoration.
• Contact your local emergency management office if you or anyone you know has special needs, in case of evacuations.
• Fill up your car with gas and fill propane tanks if you plan to use a grill for cooking immediately after a storm.  
• Prepare to be self-sufficient for an extended period of time, according to emergency operations officials. Stock up on non-perishable food, extra batteries, medications, baby supplies and pet food.  
• Purchase bottled water. The American Red Cross recommends one gallon of water per person per day for up to 14 days.
• Keep a battery-operated radio with you and a two-week supply of fresh batteries.
• Check your emergency equipment, such as flashlights, battery-operated radios, extension cords, cell phones and chargers, and emergency generators.
• Charge your cell phone and keep it ready by obtaining portable chargers.
• Install an approved hurricane shutter system over windows and doors or have alternate coverings such as plywood.
• Secure and prepare your home by storing outside objects inside, fasten doors and windows, cover valuables and furniture with plastic and move away from windows.

For more storm and safety tips, visit us at FPL.com/storm.