Screenshot via Duke Energy
If you’re without power on the Pinellas barrier islands, you’re likely to go without for a while. That’s the latest from Duke Energy.
Government and Community Relations Manager Jeff Baker said in a press conference Sept. 29 that the power company was looking at rebuilding parts of the power grid rather than restoring power on Pinellas beaches.
A significant amount of Pinellas beaches have power outages, he said. And, while he said the company expected to have 95% of mainland Pinellas online by midnight Sept. 29, Pinellas beaches have “completely different circumstances.”
As of noon, Sept. 29, 67,000 Pinellas residents and businesses have power outages.
“You have to understand,” Baker said, “that there are areas where we have not been able to do damage assessment because the roads are impassible.”
Pinellas Beaches Power Outages
For Pinellas beach communities, Baker said Duke was looking at rebuilding rather than restoring power.
“There’s going to be a lot of activity on the barrier island,” Baker said of Duke crews. And, Duke said, it would help if only people who lived or worked on Pinellas beaches traveled there.
“For those of you who do not live on that island,” he said, “please do not go out there. There is so much sand the roads will not be passable.”
Baker said Duke Energy met with “most of the mayors” on Pinellas beaches Sept. 28. Duke wills set up mobile command centers along Pinellas beaches for dispatching workers, customer information, and to help speed recovery efforts.
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