Tampa Electric’s CEO has requested patience from customers as the company mobilizes its workforce to restore power to the hundreds of thousands of customers affected by Hurricane Milton. Currently, almost 600,000 out of 850,000 customers are without power, representing about 69% of the total customer base. CEO Archie Collins stated that the utility has deployed approximately 6,000 workers to expedite power restoration efforts, a significantly larger workforce than in previous hurricane situations.
Collins expressed that the current outage is believed to be the largest in Tampa Electric’s history. The utility serves a significant portion of West Central Florida, including Hillsborough County, as well as parts of Polk, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties. The widespread impact of the storm has necessitated a robust response from the company to address the extensive power outages.
Meanwhile, Hillsborough County officials have made the decision to lift evacuation orders for Zones A and B following a thorough assessment of the hurricane's aftermath. County Administrator Bonnie Wise conducted an aerial survey of the county, noting the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Milton. She emphasized the need for caution as residents begin to return to their homes, citing flooded roads, downed power lines, and fallen trees as key hazards to be aware of.
