EPIC failure by Tampa Bay area utility companies (Hollywood, Port Charlotte: credit, mobile home)

[Zambon]

Originally Posted by sinatras

While Florida Power and Light restores electricity to hundreds of thousands a day in South Florida, TECO and the rest of the pathetic power companies in Tampa Bay can't even get the local McDonalds or street lights going again, and it's Day Three. Sad! At this rate we will be without power for two weeks or more for what turned out to be a strong tropical storm in Hillsbo and Pinellas.

Did anyone see these Tampa Bay power companies deploying thousands of trucks in advance of the storm cutting branches and shoring up service lines? Yeah, me neither.

If there is ever a REAL hurricane here, making a direct hit, I won't even come back. I'll stay evacuated and
e-mail my Realtor. As the Wash Post so perfectly said: Tampa Bay is due for a major hurricane and is NOT prepared! SAD!

Epic failure by more than just the electric company. How about the state telling millions of people to leave without providing fuel, or not sending the cops to direct traffic leaving everyone stranded on the highway unable to move? Don't get me started on the media. The handling of Irma was generally a disgrace.

[BucFan]

Everyone was stranded? OMG.....somebody call CNN.

Just be thankful 1,000s didn't perish.

We got off pretty well for a storm that encompassed the entire state.

[Tampaite]

Zephyrhills area is without power since Sunday evening.

[Tampaite]

Originally Posted by soursop

Epic failure by more than just the electric company. How about the state telling millions of people to leave without providing fuel, or not sending the cops to direct traffic leaving everyone stranded on the highway unable to move? Don't get me started on the media. The handling of Irma was generally a disgrace.

My pet peeve. They did not open South bound lanes for folks going North apparently telling us that, they were prioritizing fuel supply and I could see hundreds of cars were stranded on I-75 S for lack of fuel after Irma passed by.

what happened to all those fuel trucks? how could we have shortage when trucks were being escorted?

If a hurricane can cause wide-spread fuel shortage, I wonder what a short term disruption like a terrorist event or war would do to the area.

[BucFan]

Now comes out the second-guessers and whiners. We have tons to be thankful for.

[bobandsherry]

Originally Posted by BucFan

Now comes out the second-guessers and whiners. We have tons to be thankful for.

Interesting to see people rally together during a crisis and then a group that BM&C how things should have been done better after the fact. Could things have been done better, obviously. BM&C on here won't fix that. Are we fortunate and a lot to be thankful for, definitely.

[Tampaite]

Originally Posted by BucFan

Now comes out the second-guessers and whiners. We have tons to be thankful for.

so i take this was directed at me since am the only poster after your last post.

it's not second guessing. how many hurricanes has FL seen and we have the same thing repeat every-time(say gas shortage) so I guess no one is listening to second-guessers and whiners. someone must be living in their paradise thankful for everything they have unless they are stranded on a highway with kids and family and wondering when they'll make it home.

[Irishiis49]

Originally Posted by Tampaite

so i take this was directed at me since am the only poster after your last post.

it's not second guessing. how many hurricanes has FL seen and we have the same thing repeat every-time(say gas shortage) so I guess no one is listening to second-guessers and whiners. someone must be living in their paradise thankful for everything they have unless they are stranded on a highway with kids and family and wondering when they'll make it home.

Irma engulfed the entire state...up until 2 days before storm all so called experts were predicting she would hit the Miami area...only after decimating the Florida Keys did we realize how screwed the west coast was...people panicked and hoarded gasoline in our area...even after local weathermen informed the Tampa coastal area(Pinellas)that we would not take a direct hit people that needed to fuel their generators hoarded gas...this put a strain on our supply...fine if you want to fuel your generators fill up in June...don't wait till folks in coastal areas are required to evacuate and bring ten 5 gallon jugs to your local stations...

[Irishiis49]

Just noticed I was the last post on a closed thread...WOW...feeling proud...maybe going for 2/2...???

[loves2read]

Originally Posted by hokiepoke

We lost power for a day but it was restored yesterday thankfully. But the neighborhood to the east and west still don't have power. With all the big trees that came down taking lines out with it, I would expect a lot of work and some might take a while. Yesterday on the way back, I also several armada of electric utility trucks heading to Florida and all along US 19. Trucks with Alabama and Louisiana plates and also Florida plates from panhandle.
Help is coming. Got a message from Duke that indicate power should all be back by Friday tho that will be little consolation if you'd have to suffer in the heat. Prepared or not, this is also a jolt for everyone to be more prepared. I myself was complacent in trimming my own trees and need to also buy a power generator.

Thanks for taking some responsibility for what you could do to help yourself
We are in Sarasota county
Had a queen Palm 25-30 ft tall-- in our front yard fall parallel to the house (thank the gods of the winds) vs on top of our house
House up the street from ours had same type of Palm fall same direction ---N to S

We have another Queen Palm same size in backyard corner that is still standing--but we are seriously considering having it taken down and something smaller to replace it...
We are FPL--our house and daughter's next door and one to her left never lost power
The three houses to our right on our side of street were off til last night---5 days if they lost Sunday--
That is no fun--and neighbors didn't have generator...and neither did we--so guess that will be on our Christmas list...

One thing I will say is that our neighborhood belongs to NextDoor--a Facebook for subdivisions
We have had some good/bad experience with what has been posted prior to Irma but for this people were on the ball, respectful, non-political and it definitely made a difference for many people who might not have known very many people in the neighborhood before...especially those who are seasonal and we're still out of state or those who left early and wanted to know about their house and General situation...
Probably 10-12 new people joined likely to get on the communication chain
It was very helpful
Now once things are back to normal some people likely will go back to snide and rude and political about posts that have nothing political to them--but it was nice while it lasted...