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Here’s How Gulf Power And EREC Are Restoring Power After Hurricane Sally
September 17, 2020
Almost all of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties were left without power due to Hurricane Sally. Now Gulf Power Company and Escambia River Electric Cooperative (EREC) say they are working hard to get the lights back on as soon as possible.
Escambia River – 95% Lost Power
By the time Sally was done, EREC reported 10,919 outages out of 11,463 total customers in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties — that was 95% of their customers without power. By late Wednesday night, the number of outages was down to 9,738.
Additional line crews were arriving locally to help EREC with power restoration.
“There are specific steps we must take,” said Sabina Owens, EREC’s vice president of marketing and communications, “to restore power to the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time. Crews will work around the clock to get everyone’s electricity back on as quickly and safely as possible.”
Gulf Power Restores 50,000 Plus
Wednesday afternoon, Gulf Power reported 145,920 outages among 153,000 customers in Escambia County; and 48,890 outages out of 74,200 customers in Santa Rosa County.
As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, Gulf Power announced that power had been restored to more than 50,000 customers affected by Hurricane Sally. That left 234,000 without power, mostly in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties.
A Gulf Power workforce of nearly 7,000 people was committed to the power restoration effort. Florida Power & Light, Gulf’s sister company, provided about 1,800 employees that quickly went to work to restore power.
But the company said their power restoration efforts were hampered by significant flooding.
“Hurricane Sally’s strong winds, storm surge and flooding has caused significant damage to the energy grid and other critical infrastructure throughout Northwest Florida,” said Marlene Santos, president of Gulf Power. “Our crews worked throughout last night and in between feeder bands today to restore more than 50,000 outages and will continue to work tonight assessing damage and restoring power as it is safe to do so. Downed trees, flooding and closed or damaged roads and bridges will likely impact our ability to reach some areas. Nevertheless, we are committed to working around the clock until every customer has their lights back on.”
Comments
59 Responses to “Here’s How Gulf Power And EREC Are Restoring Power After Hurricane Sally”
What about downtown garden st and h st we r going on to day 3 totally like everyone wasn’t prepared at all so no gas water food or thank God this time we have cell phone service and great nieghbors that charge the phones for us
What about Myrtle Grove… I’m skerrrrd at night
The question we should be asking, how a whole County lose power. If the area is broken down into grids. Shortly everything could not have went out at the same time. I’ve heard, transformer went out, a major transformer went out and the way we are connected allows for one thing to happen harm the whole system. I don’t know but have trying to understand it.
I live off Jackson, by the bingo hall. We lost power and water, also Monday night. It’s now Friday and still nothing. The only thing that is back, is ice cold water. Half of my home was flooded on the inside and numerous trees from neighboring yards, fell on my privacy fence and into my yard. I have a husband and 3 young sons in this home and everyday is getting harder and harder. PLEASE work towards getting the west side’s power back up and running.
Everything down Navy is dead. I lost power monday night at 10 and had no water until Wednesday. Everything cold is gone. No gas to get anything. And I can’t wait in line for 45 min for gas. My family is hot and hungry. Please please work on everything down Navy
I think we are all just worried and looking for any answer at all. Maybe we can help each other by posting when you get power and your location. That way, even if it’s more placebo than anything else, we can see the progress and we can have hope as more people closer and closer to us get power. We can post here to these comments (I don’t have social media so there may be a place for this already.) I’m in Cantonment and still without power.
To all the crews working to get us back up and running, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Most of us realize you all are not only risking your lives for us, but you are away from your family and loves ones. We are so lucky to have y’all here to help us!
Olive Road area (South of Davis), 72 hours seems like an eternity. I know they’re working hard and fast, in very dangerous conditions. Although I am, like everyone else, anxious to have power restored, I am grateful to these linemen who have rushed to our aid. Bless each of you. We are all praying for your safety, #GODsHandUponYou that not one of you are injured.
Thank you to ALL the power company employees and linemen, local and from out of town, for working to restore our power.
We appreciate you and praying for your safety!
One day without power? Our estimated restoration date is the 22nd. We will lose about 150 pounds of perishable food. Are we blessed to have water? Yes. Can we afford to replace that food? No.
I am so sick and tired of people complaining about not having a luxury like power.
Take a step back and look at how blessed you are. You bitch about going one full day without power, while there are people who don’t even have a roof over their head now.
It’s time to get your priorities straight and realize that even in your worst moments, you’re still more blessed than most of the worlds population.
There are people who have come from all over the country to help and there are people here locally that have damage and families of their own they can’t tend to because they are helping you.
Be thankful.
Thank you erec for all the hard work.god bless all the workers
Philippians 4:11 (KJV)
“…for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”
When to restore power in Perdido Key?? Thank you all for your hardwork!!
Any news for 9 1/2 mile rd area
I have a 2 week old baby and still no power. I live in Ivanhoe behind Walmart on 29.
To everyone griping about your power. You are so right! The power company is the laziest bunch of slackers ever!!! They need to get it together!
You should all go work for them so that we can all have our power on right now!
Seriously. Get a grip. Smh and disgusted with all of you. It’s not even been 48 hours. Is this what we have come too. So entitled and instant gratification needy?
Embarrassing.
Meanwhile I’ll be grateful and waiting with a 12 pack for the crew turning my power on—even if it’s 10 days from now. (Cause after an event like this That pretty much what you should expect!)
Anybody know when they will start inncantonment farmhill area im7 months pregnant and this sucks we have no gas no food it’s starting to get hard
To all cracking on southern pine and erec remember they are not big corporations they are a co-op. They have less customers aka less money flow and less employees to do the same type of work. Be thankful these guys are out there restoring our power as they have their own houses and trees to clean up. As an electrical contractor in the area I have friends in all 3 companies and most of the guys in the field work hard to take care of the customers but they still have policies that have to be followed or they could lose their livelihood. When all is back to normal remember they guys that got it back for you.
We are in West Pensacola/Myrtle Grove area 3miles from Blue Angel Parkway.we lost power 22hours before Sally hit. We reported and we were given a time of 2pm. We never had our power restored. So here we are still no power. There are a huge amount of trees and limbs down along Gulf Beach Hwy and Sorento Rd. My husband is ill and released from hospital after a lengthy hospital stay for Sepsis. We need our power. How much longer Gulf Power? There are three gas stations within two miles that are closed because of no electricity. Come on Gulf Power. An ambulance took a neighbor to the hospital today. Our Veterans and military personnel need power. Please ?
A large portion of Flomaton, AL is still without power.
A tree has fallen on the lines in front of Flomaton Woods apartments and I know a lot of people with medical needs that are on that grid that seriously need power. Is there any update at all on this? Does anyone know?
Cold showers suck!
Tomorrow I jerry rig my generator to my house. I have duct tape and some wire.
Also,,, the billboard says the first 72 is on you. Not the first 6 is on you. That’s 3 days people. The power trucks can’t even get down the road or near a downed line because there 40,000 unprepared people who have to have gas and something from publix and on and on and on You are unprepared and you are part of the problem.
Does anyone know when the power will be back on in walnut hill? Because this heat and stuff ain’t it smh
@upset resident,,,
Why don’t you pony up big boy and get out there and help. Maybe take them some water or better yet why don’t you learn how the system operates and then you would know why they are doing it the way they are. No you just wanna sit there and run your pie hole.
EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE PATIENT. THEY WILL GET TO IT WHEN THEY CAN
Camillia garden is with out light and been out for 2 days
Any news on when Michigan ave will have power
If you see a power truck on 9 mile his ass will be sitting in traffic with the rest of us.
Get off the roads people so they can get around.
WOOHOO 5:50pm and we have power in Fox Run off 9 mile!!!!! Was honestly not expecting this for 2 more days !!!! Yes I did go outside and clap and shout lol!
Still no power in century (Hwy 4), any ETA of when EREC might arrive.
Just got done cutting myself out of my driveway. FREEDOM!!! I thought I would celebrated my new found freedom and drive down HWY 97 from the (Walnut Hill) 6000 block and head east toward HWY 29. I just knew I would see the power guys right around the corner and one would smile and say “Dont worry we just have this one little twig to remove and your next.” I didn’t see soul from the power company or any work being done. In the 6 miles I drove I counted 14 sections with downed power lines. Some pine trees are still hanging precariously on the lines while other spots have power lines wrapped around trees next to the new AT&T antenna. It looks like it’s going to be a long time before I get power.
i see all those trucks going down 29. haven’t seen 1 erec truck on my rd. as usual this side of the river waits.
Electricity back on in Byrneville. Thank you EREC!
Maybe there around but I agree, I to have not seen any local Erec trucks just one Alabama power truck on its way. Out here in Bratt I fear it could be a week or more.
I was out power for 22 days after Ivan, so anything less than that this time will be a blessing. In the meantime, at least it’s been relatively cool since the storm went through, and is going to get even cooler this weekend. Things could have been a LOT worse.
Thank you EREC. This old lady is happy. Stay saved
want to know how soon we have our power restored ? Hopefully will get the power
back this weekend ?
Thanks and Keep up the Great Work and WE ARE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED
Be safe and God Bless !
Some of you all think power is just quickly restored. How you’re so badly mistaken. This doesn’t just “happen quickly” on it’s own. Qualified people, generally from out of town, drive into town to help during a massive disaster, ie, hurricane strike. That takes time. They have to navigate the same blocked roads as you do which takes time. They have to coordinate and figure out if it’s safe to handle the lines, and what exactly to do, and do it SAFELY. This also takes time. If it’s too much of a hazard they probably wont attempt it. I can tell you, standing water and electricity DO NOT MIX. This storm dumped 25 to 20 inches of rain PLUS HISTORIC STORM SURGE so there is a TON of standing water still. Please thank these crews and give them cold water if you can. They are a gods send. Thank you!!!!
2 days in Cobbtown without power and ain’t seen nobody to work on 2spans of downed power lines, easy fix where you at EREC?
Still without power on pine meadows loop
Any idea when it will be on
Thank you EREC!
So very grateful for the lineman and all at escambia river, our power came back on around 3am,so I’m assuming they are working through the night, thank you and God bless ! Lifting you up in prayer, stay safe and strong!!
Still no power in century smh
Wish they would get started in Molino area lots of main and secondary lines down. Lineman rock
Funny thing though…. I haven’t see a power truck in two days on nine mile road, so i am skeptical to say the least .
Does anyone know if Walnut Hill is getting worked on?
We just got some sort of cell signal back. My dad is on hospice
And we need power to run his oxygen machine.
I live in Myrtle grove. Still without power. How long until power is restored.
What about Myrtle grove
Been out since 7pm on the 13th. Please we are losing everything and cannot afford to replace. ETA PLEASE SELLERS DR. BY HIGH SCHOOL.
You guys are the real MVPs during natural disasters!!! We THANKFUL for all you do!!!
Let us not forget that it’s not ALL GULF POWER. We will have hundreds of OUT OF STATE crew members in the helping. Ivan’s gave us a Missouri crew that restored ours off of 9 Mile road. I will be surprised if it’s NOT an out OF STATER IN OUR Molino house.
Thank you EREC for everything you have done,are doing and will do for us. Everyone of you lineman are risking your life for ppl you don’t even know, that says a lot about you! TEAM BRANDON
Thank you, EREC for all of your great work! You are appreciated!
Saying prayers for safety while restoring power.
I wish Southern Pine Electric had the same standards as Gulf Power
I’m always the last one cause we our own line..this sucks. I just pray its sooner then later..and that my fiancee and step son stay safe out there getting these tress away from power lines. As the work thru gulf power!
GulfPower Linemen are Awesome
EREC rocked it, power restored in record time
thank you for what u dobest lucky with restore power
thankyou for what u best luch with restore power