Do you:
- Keep your storm supplies stocked all year?
- Wait until a warning is issued to stock up?
- Hunker down at home and hope for the best?
- Pack a bag and head to the airport?
Luckily, Tampa Electric is a Type A Prepper! We work year-round to deliver 99.98% service reliability, minimize outages and improve power restoration times in blue skies and gray.
How does this help you if a major hurricane comes along?
Tampa Electric’s Storm Protection Plan (SPP) is a multiyear program that invests millions in strengthening our system against extreme weather events, such as hurricanes. For you, this means fewer and shorter outages after severe weather. Our plan includes the following:
- Converting certain overhead lines to underground, up to 100 miles per year.
- Trimming trees more frequently.
- Making substations more resilient by raising some equipment or building flood walls.
- Installing stronger, more storm-resistant poles and improved technology along certain power lines.
What have we done to prepare for storm season?
Over the past year, we invested over $180 million to strengthen our system against severe weather. Our crews:
- Strengthened or replaced nearly 1,000 distribution power poles.
- Strengthened more than 500 transmission structures.
- Inspected nearly 36,000 wooden power poles.
- Trimmed tree limbs and branches from more than 3,000 miles of power lines.
We also continued to install “self-healing” technology that automatically isolates outages and routes power around the problem without sending a worker into the field. What does this mean for you? This technology minimizes the number of customers affected by an outage – and shortens restoration times. There has been a 50% - 60% reduction in outages and momentary flickers where this technology is installed.
Does this mean you won’t have any power outages during a storm?
Unfortunately, extreme weather still has the potential to damage Tampa Electric’s equipment – causing power outages. If you experience a power outage – report and monitor it electronically.
- Go to TECOAccount.com.
- Visit TampaElectric.com/Outage.
- Check our outage map at TampaElectric.com/OutageMap.
- Text OUT, UPDATE or STATUS to 27079.
- Call 1-877-588-1010.
To enroll in free outage notifications by text, email or phone, go to TECOAccount.com/Notifications.
What can you do to prepare for storm season?
Visit our new Storm Center webpage.
- Get preparedness tips.
- Download our hurricane brochure.
- Learn safety tips, such as how to use portable generators safely.
- Report and get updates on a power outage.
- Sign up for free outage notifications via text, email and phone.
Follow us on social media.
Check out our Facebook, Twitter and Nextdoor sites for the latest information on storms, safety, restoration and other essential topics.
Know your flood zone.
Visit your county’s emergency management website to determine your flood zone and hurricane evacuation zone, get flood depth data and flood insurance information, or help with property flood protection for residents.
Protect yourself and your loved ones.
Safety is always Tampa Electric’s No. 1 priority – we even dedicated an entire webpage to Storm Safety. Following a storm, Tampa Electric teams patrol the electric system to locate problems. Help our crews stay safe and enhance our restoration efforts by:
- Staying away from any downed power lines. Assume all downed power lines are energized. Avoid contact with a downed line or any object – such as a tree branch, fence, vehicle or even water – that has come in contact with a downed power line. Call 911, then call us at 877-588-1010.
- Using portable generators safely. Do not connect a portable generator directly to a home circuit. Plug appliances directly into the generator. Connecting a generator to home circuits may cause power to flow to outside lines, which can be life-threatening to restoration crews.
- Also, portable generators must be in a dry, well-ventilated space. Do not use it during a storm or inside a residence or enclosed space, such as a garage or lanai, where deadly carbon monoxide could accumulate. Only use portable generators outdoors, more than 20 feet from your home.
- Preparing your home for power restoration if there’s an outage. To ensure your home is ready once power has been restored, ensure there are no flammable items on the stove, no small electronics left on, or other potentially dangerous situations. Turn off as many appliances as possible that require electricity and turn them on individually after power is restored. This causes less stress to the power system and ensures all customers get restored without unnecessary delays. If you’re leaving your home for an extended period, switch off the power at the main breaker.
Register for Special Needs.
Assistance is available if you or someone in your home has special needs and may require help locating a shelter and transportation. Contact your county’s emergency management agency to register and arrange for storm-related emergencies.
Regardless of the type of storm prepper you are, Tampa Electric puts 124 years of storm experience to work for you. When extreme weather comes our way, we don’t stop working until everyone’s lights are on. If you need additional assistance, please call 888-223-0800 on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
