Hurricane Season in Florida begins on June 1. Scroll down and get #StormWise with key resources and information on how you can protect your home and keep your family safe before, during and after a major storm.
Get #StormWise and Learn How to Prepare
Before the Storm: Plan Ahead
The best way to prepare? Start early! Authorities may issue evacuation or shelter notices 48-72 hours before possible storm impact. Get ready NOW so you'll be confident and prepared when it matters.
- Pack your Hurricane Preparedness Kit now and be ready any time.
- Meet and review an Emergency Plan with your family every May.
- Give special consideration to any pets or livestock in your planning.
- Have a plan to cover windows and secure outdoor items if necessary.
- Know your evacuation zone and local shelter; keep fuel tanks fuel.
- Register your account online and set notification preferences.
- Monitor radio stations, TV and weather alert radio for storm updates.
- Unplug your small appliances to avoid risk of electric surge damage.
Did you know Tampa Electric prepares our delivery system and our people for hurricane season 365 days a year? Our Storm Protection Plan undergrounds targeted overhead lines, trims trees, and hardens equipment like poles and substations to prevent outages. And our teams have emergency response plans and mock drills year-round so we can be ready to provide the best reliability, safety, and fastest restoration possible to our customers when storms hit our area.
During the Storm: Stay Safe
If authorities evacuate your area, assume your safety is at extreme risk. Double check your "Before the Storm" list and leave as soon as possible. If it is recommended and safe for you to stay in your home, be sure to:
- Stay indoors within a sturdy structure (no mobile homes or trailers).
- Choose a room away from any exterior windows.
- Avoid structures on the shores of open water, rivers or creeks.
- If you smell gas, immediately move to safety, and call 911, then call Peoples Gas at 877-832-6747.
- Avoid flood waters – they may be energized with electrical current!
- If flood waters may enter your home, shut off power at the main switch.
- Assume all downed / damaged power lines are extremely dangerous – back away & call 911.
- Use a NOAA weather alert radio to stay informed.
- Keep refrigerators & freezers closed to preserve food if possible.
Our team monitors storms year round. Once a major storm is in our area, every member of our team takes on a special "storm role" to take action for our customers.
After the Storm: Back On Track
As soon as it is safe to do so, our team works as hard as we can to get as many customer back into power as fast as possible. During this time:
- Stay away from any damaged or downed power lines – always assume that it is energized. Move away & call 911.
- Avoid flood waters, whether on foot or in a vehicle, they may be energized with electrical current.
- Avoid any building with flood water around its perimeter.
- Smell rotten eggs? This may be an indicator that a natural gas line is damaged. Immediately move to safety, and call 911, then call Peoples Gas at 877-832-6747.
- Report any electrical outages.
- Visit our Outage Map to check the status of your area's power.
- Stay in touch with family and friends to verify your family's safety.
- Help those who need extra care – infants, elderly and disabled.
When the storm clears, we work tirelessly to restore power – first to essential and life-saving services, then to as many residents as we can, as fast as we can. Click the button below to see how we make sure power is restored efficiently and equitably for our communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
A. We restore electric service to hospitals, disaster centers and police and fire stations first. Water and sanitary installations are next, followed by telephone service providers and residential customers who depend on power for life-support systems. Our objective is to restore power to the largest number of customers in the shortest possible time.
A. Our Storm Protection Plan invests roughly $100 million annually towards increasing reliability, and in turn lowering restoration time and costs during future storms. Many of our efforts, like our goal of converting 75-100 miles of targeted overhead lines to underground annually, are focused on protecting lines from contact with things like fallen trees that can cause lengthy outages. In addition to undergrounding targeted overhead lines, we’re strengthening power lines by replacing wood with steel and concrete, making key equipment like substations more resilient, and increasing our tree trimming schedule to protect lines. With over 6,000 miles of overhead lines, hardening our system is a big project and it takes time, but we’re committed to providing you with safe, affordable, and reliable electric service and are investing in increased reliability. Learn more here.
A. Storms can cause extensive destruction and multiple repairs may be needed on a particular line. If portions of the line are repaired, some customers may receive power while others may not. Sometimes, even customers in the same neighborhood will have different service lines. If you are on the same service line as your neighbor, you may also have damage to your meter that is interrupting electric service to your home. Damage to electrical systems caused by storms can also be sporadic.
A. After a storm, when winds are consistently under 40 mph, our crews must physically inspect and determine how much replacement equipment is needed and how many labor hours are required to make repairs. Because this is a manual process, it’s extremely difficult to provide detailed estimated restoration times (ETRs) and other information. Be assured you will not be forgotten.
A. Troubleshooters and lineworkers are skilled technicians. Each utility has the appropriate number of these people to handle the normal operations and repairs of the company's service area. When a major weather event impacts an area, the utilities across the country share people in order to restore power to as many customers as quickly and safely as possible.
A. You will not be charged if you did not have power.
A. If you encounter a downed power line, always assume it is energized, move a safe distance away (at least 30 feet) and immediately call Tampa Electric at 888-223-0800. Never drive over downed power lines or touch power lines, including anyone or anything touching the line. This includes a fence or other object the line may fall onto. The results can be deadly. Warn others to stay away.
A. It is extremely dangerous to drive over electrical lines. Driving over a downed line can cause poles or other equipment to come crashing down. If you are in a car that comes in contact with a downed power line, stay in your vehicle and wait until the utility arrives to safely de-energize the line.
A. The odor of rotten eggs is an indicator that a natural gas line might be damaged. Immediately move to safety and call 911, then call Peoples Gas at 877-832-6747.
A. The odor of rotten eggs is an indicator that a natural gas line might be damaged. If you smell gas, immediately move to safety, and call 911, then call Peoples Gas at 877-832-6747.
A. Always avoid driving or walking through flood waters – they may be energized with electrical current and create hazardous conditions.
A. No. If you are forced to evacuate your home due to flooding, you should turn off your power at the circuit breaker panel or fuse box. Always ensure your hands are dry before touching a circuit breaker and you are not standing on a wet or damp surface. During and after flooding, your home and the surrounding area may be highly dangerous due to mud deposits and debris that can still conduct electricity.
A. If your home or business is flooded, we cannot reconnect power until the electrical system has been inspected by a licensed electrician. Once appropriate repairs have been made by the licensed electrician, he or she will need to obtain verification from your local building inspection authority before power can be restored.
