Please Stop With The Power Surges Already
First of all, I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining. There are people much worse off after the hurricane came through Florida than to hear me complaining about power surges. Bur really FPL, it’s been a week. How much longer is this going to go on? It’s every single night. And really, why is it only at night, then the problem clears up around 9 am? What’s going on? And is it getting worse?
If you’re not living with the situation that a lot of us in Southwest Florida are dealing with, it’s power interruptions. It starts at night, with the power going off momentarily, then coming back on. Enough to cause your electronics to beep and wake you up. Or worse, damage your appliances (more on that in a bit).
The Power Surges
When I ask if it’s getting worse its because of the changes. The power no longer goes off then back on, there’s a surge, then off, then back on. It’s so creepy, I’ll be getting ready for work in the morning and suddenly the lights get brighter. Then they go off. Then they come back on. Fortunately for me, I have surge suppressors on a lot of my electronics, but what I don’t have protected, are my appliances. And my air conditioner (eek).
I happened to be in the laundry room during one of the power glitches last weekend. I noticed my washer lit up, then went back off. So I unplugged it. At least I can save that. But unplugging it is just something you can’t do with your refrigerator.
Then I wondered if this was causing problems for others. I called Good Deals Appliances in Fort Myers and asked if they’ve had customers come in because their appliances have been fried by these power surges. She said yes, they have. This is something that’s happening. People are having to repair, or worse, replace appliances because of this.
Last Friday I got a statement from Kamrel J. Eppinger at NextEra Energy (FPL).
Here’s a couple of excerpts. “many trees and branches have been weakened by the storm and could fall in the coming weeks and months onto power lines and electrical equipment, potentially causing momentary flickers or disrupting power entirely.” Weeks. Yes, they said weeks. Here’s another:
“Significant wind gusts during the hurricane may also have loosened some electrical connections, which may lead to increased outages and flickers days and weeks later.” Again, the word they used – weeks. I reached out for a follow up, but I have not heard back.
What was different about Hurricane Milton that’s causing this? And better yet, why are the power surges only at night and then stopping in the late morning? I really don’t know. And I really, really want to find out.
So, Let’s Sum Up The Power Surges
I’ve been here in Southwest Florida for 20 years and have been through many hurricanes and have been without power many times. I don’t ever remember power surges within the community still happening a week after power was restored. This really is new to me.
Yesterday the power company declared “FPL essentially completes restoration following Hurricane Milton”. But last night and this morning it was more of the same. The power flickers are a little annoying, but power surges can be very destructive. Every time my refrigerator resets I’m like “c’mon buddy, you got this.”
Ultimately, there’s really not much we can do. Unplug expensive stuff that’s not in use, and hope for the best for the rest. If you have a Costco membership, here’s the battery backup I use on my tv, router, Playstation and sound bar. That thing has been a champ. And I’m thinking the next time I have my a/c serviced I should ask about a surge suppressor for that, too. Looks like they’re under a hundred bucks. You can buy one for your refrigerator, too, just $12 at Ace Hardware.
If FPL isn’t sure how long the power surges will continue, it might be time to take some steps to protect your electronics.
