Restoration will continue in all parts of the service territory until power is restored to everyone. 92% of LCEC customers wake up with power this morning.

Around the clock, LCEC and hundreds of restoration workers, have been working to restore power to the 170,000 customers across the five-county LCEC territory that lost power after Hurricane Irma. Approximately 18,200 customers throughout the five-county LCEC territory remain without power.

The LCEC restoration plan, matching most utility response plans, entails five steps:

1. Damage assessment – which continues throughout the plan.
2. Repair of main power lines and critical infrastructure.
3. Restoration in areas that require the least repair to get the largest # restored.
4. Return to repair smaller outages requiring more work –  in hundreds of neighborhoods.
5. Follow-up to address specific important issues once restoration is completed.

By tonight, MOST power in the areas of North Fort Myers, Pine Island, St. James City, Bokeelia, Useppa, Sanibel, Captiva, Cape Coral, Marco Island, Goodland, and Everglades City, Chokoloskee, Ochopee, Miles City, Monroe Station, Port of the Islands are expected to be essentially restored.

Customers still out of power in those areas may have more localized damage to the infrastructure serving their specific location and could be out a bit longer while crews address the isolated outages.

MOST customers in Immokalee and Lehigh Acres, where the hurricane impacted the electric system the hardest, can expect restoration by September 22. There will be customers in these areas who may have damage to the infrastructure serving their specific location that will take longer to repair.

If the only one on their street with no power, customers should:

1. Check to be sure their breaker is on.
2. If pipes or wires at the meter box are bent or broken, a licensed electrician must make repairs so that LCEC can restore power. Permits are not needed for emergency restoration but government inspections will be needed once power has been restored to ensure safety.
3. If the meter is damaged, LCEC will replace it to restore power.
4. Call 239-656-2300 and report an outage on the automated phone line, so localized damage can be tracked and addressed.

Work will continue in all parts of the service territory until power is restored to everyone.