Southeastern Us Utilities Prepare For Hurricane Isaias To…

Hurricane Isaias surged toward the U.S. Gulf Coast on Thursday as the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, prompting mandatory evacuations, school closures and local government shutdowns in parts of Florida, Mississippi and Alabama.

Isaias was forecast to intensify rapidly and bring strong winds and a life-threatening storm surge to the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi when it makes landfall along the northern Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday. Heavy rain and flooding were possible into the weekend as far north as Tennessee and North Carolina.

The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of about 85 mph (140 kph) and was moving east-northeast at 10 mph (17 kph) as of early Thursday afternoon, the hurricane center said. It was centered about 355 miles (570 kilometers) south of the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Forecasters said water from the storm surge and high tide could reach 5 to 7 feet (1.5 to 2 meters) in parts of Alabama and Mississippi. Isaias also could dump up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain on coastal areas and spawn tornadoes overnight Friday into Saturday from Alabama to the Florida Panhandle and southwestern Georgia. The hurricane is expected to weaken quickly after landfall.

Isaias developed more than four months into the Atlantic hurricane season and was one day short of tying a 121-year-old record for the area’s latest-forming hurricane. That record dates to 1905, when the year’s first Atlantic hurricane formed on Oct. 8.

The Atlantic hurricane season has been unusually quiet this year because of a strong El Niño, which disrupts storm formation over the Atlantic. Storm activity has been above average in the Pacific, where Tropical Storm Simon formed Wednesday off Mexico and where Tropical Storm Rachel was expected to approach northern Baja California, Mexico, and Southern California this weekend.

Electric utilities are responding to the threat of Isaias in a variety of ways, hardening their systems and preparing for storm response.

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL)

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) activated its emergency response plan this week and is pre-positioning a workforce of approximately 12,000 and finalizing 16 processing and staging sites in an effort to speed up restoration “closest to areas ly to feel the greatest impact.” The utility has also secured restoration personnel from other utilities and electrical contracting companies.

“At FPL, we are moving crews and resources in advance of Tropical Storm Isaias so we can respond immediately and quickly restore power for our customers,” said FPL president and CEO Scott Bores. “We’re prepared and ready to respond. We urge our customers to prepare, too. Please take this time to review your emergency plans, closely monitor the storm and guidance from local and state officials.”

Georgia Power

Georgia Power has positioned emergency response teams and storm equipment ahead of the storm’s landfall, with customers in its western and central service areas expected to be affected. Additionally, Georgia Power crews are already in the field trimming trees near power lines in preparation, WSB-TV reports. Georgia Power customers are automatically enrolled in SMS-based power outage alerts, a spokesperson said.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida has mobilized emergency response teams, but warned that travel and work conditions could ly be impacted by strong winds and potential flooding, leading to “lengthy and difficult” repair times.

“As Hurricane Isaias approaches, Duke Energy meteorologists are closely tracking the storm. Our crews are prepared to restore power as soon as conditions allow,” said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm director. “The safety of our customers, communities and employees remains our top priority.”

CenterPoint Energy

CenterPoint Energy said its meteorology, emergency planning & response, and gas and electric operations teams are monitoring the storm, but noted no anticipated impacts to the Texas Gulf Coast and Greater Houston area.

“CenterPoint’s meteorology team continues to monitor newly named Tropical Storm Isaias as it continues to strengthen and move northeastward in the Gulf. Based on the latest data and forecast, no direct impacts are expected for the Greater Houston area,” said Marco Monreal, CenterPoint’s Lead Meteorologist. “While we are not expecting impacts, our teams are taking action and reviewing readiness plans, and we encourage all customers across southeast Texas to stay weather aware.”

If the risk of landfall changes for CenterPoint Energy customers, CenterPoint will activate its emergency operations center and position additional frontline workers in strategic locations to be ready to support restoration efforts.

Entergy Mississippi

Entergy Mississippi said its crews are monitoring the storm and are preparing for severe weather the storm could bring to the eastern portion of its service territory within the next several days.

Heavy winds and rainfall are possible as the system moves through Mississippi, with greater impacts expected east of I-55. The utility also warned that the storm may cause power outages, especially in areas where vegetation is still compromised from insect infestations ing a 2023 drought.

Baldwin EMC

Baldwin EMC, an electric cooperative serving an area between Mobile, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida, said officials are monitoring the storm around the clock and that all crews are on emergency storm alert status.

“We want to assure our members we are prepared should Tropical Storm Isaias reach our service area,” said VP of corporate services and public relations Mark Ingram. “We have a fine-tuned disaster plan in place, and we’ll be ready to respond within a matter of hours after the storm hits.”

Baldwin EMC said it has taken “all standard precautionary measures” and met all preliminary storm-preparation requirements. The cooperative has additional supplies stocked, such as poles, transformers, wire, and other needed equipment. In addition to regularly scheduled emergency crews, Baldwin EMC has extra crews on standby and ready to respond if the area experiences widespread outages.

Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA)

The Florida Municipal Electric Association, a non-profit trade association focused on Florida’s public power communities and municipal electric utilities, announced it has activated its mutual aid network to aid with power restoration efforts for any of its member utilities impacted, as well as other utilities impacted in Florida or other states.

“It is anticipated that Hurricane Isaias will bring heavy rainfall, damaging winds, possible tornadoes, and storm surge and flooding, which could lead to widespread power outages in affected coastal and inland communities,” said Amy Zubaly, executive director for FMEA. “At this time, Florida’s public power communities remain outside of the current forecast cone. However, all Florida municipal electric utilities are prepared to respond and assist with recovery.”

FMEA represents the interests of 33 public power communities across the state, which provide electricity to more than 4 million of Florida’s residential and business consumers.

This article contains reporting from the Associated Press.