WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (WPEC) — The start of hurricane season is a few short weeks away, and officials are working to make sure they’re prepared for this season’s storms.
Over 3,500 Florida Power and Light employees have been working on a mock hurricane simulation all week as if a Category 4 hurricane hit South Florida with Thursday morning being the time of landfall.
They're calling the storm Hurricane Benito. The simulation is meant to test employees' responses as if there was an actual hurricane.
The work they do during the simulation is part of the important preparation for the real thing so they can make sure power is restored as soon as possible for everyone impacted by a storm.
FPL Spokesperson Jack Eble said they work hard all year to make sure communities are as equipped as possible this hurricane season.
"We know it's a matter of when not if a storm is going to strike," said Eble.
Eble said these drills are essential in making sure everyone is ready for when a storm comes.
“We are constantly preparing for the next major storm because we know that all it takes is one storm during hurricane season to impact our customers and our service area," said Eble.
FPL used its mobile command center, staging site, smart grid technology and wind equipment sensors during the drill. But they also had their first line of drone responders ready to go.
FPL's vice president of power delivery, Ed De Varona, said drones are deployed to survey areas that crews may be unable to reach after a storm hits.
We can get the drone technology to give us that bird's eye view on the level of damage that we have in our infrastructure and what we're going to be able to move in," said De Varona.This technology helps experienced lineworkers like Mike Ochoa quickly bring power back to the community.
“People nowadays cannot live without power. And it's very important. So that medical needs and we are there ready to give power," said Ochoa.
That will be crucial this year, as Colorado State University’s Atlantic hurricane forecast predicted an extremely active season with 23 storms and 11 hurricanes, with five of them being major.
“Bad weather extends out. Sometimes even hundreds of miles and covers most of the state," said De Varona.
The hurricane simulation wrapped up Friday afternoon.
Experts say it’s important to make sure you and your family have a hurricane evacuation plan and that you’re stocking up your hurricane kit. The kit should be filled with things like water, non-perishable food items, batteries, chargers, a radio, cash and a first aid kit.
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