Wilma Aftermath: Grasping at Straws

FP&L says that 172,300 customers in Miami-Dade still lack power, which makes about 18% of the 956,500 affected by Hurricane Wilma. In other words, 82% of customers in Miami-Dade have their power back.

But we still don’t.

As the Miami Herald reports

In Coral Gables, about a quarter of residents are still using flashlights, candles and generators — and the percentage has remained the same for three days, said City Manager David Brown.

”The percentages aren’t going to change that much anymore because the pockets are so little,” Brown said. “When you go and turn on 25 residents, it doesn’t change the number on 5,500. Unfortunately, when you’ve been without power for many days, tempers start to flare, frustrations start to rise.”

FPL Vice President Geisha Williams acknowledged that progress was becoming piecemeal. The work is now down to blown-out transformers and downed wires, especially in small neighborhoods.

”It’s slow and it’s gritty and it’s tough,” she said.

The good news is that yesterday at about 6pm, an actual FP&L truck parked on my street and actual FP&L employees got out to look at the damage behind the house across the street.

Then they went away.