Florida Power Outage Preparedness
The Florida edition of 90 Days Without Power by Robert Smythe adds Hurricane, heat, and humidity edition to the national household plan. Use official Florida emergency information together with Ready.gov, CDC, EPA, and USDA baselines for water, food, heat and cold, and carbon monoxide.
Who to listen to in Florida
Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) is the state emergency-management agency named in this edition. The public information network listed in the book is FloridaDisaster.org. For local help lines, Dial 2-1-1 or visit florida211.org (or the current page it redirects to) for local help.
Open the 2-1-1 page listed for Florida
Climate and risk notes
Florida is hot and humid most of the year, with a defined Atlantic hurricane season from June 1 through November 30. Storm surge, inland flooding, and tornadoes inside a hurricane’s envelope can all show up in the same week. South Florida rarely freezes; the Panhandle sometimes does.
Tropical storms and hurricanes are a documented cause of multi-day outages here. Official guidance after storms often includes boil-water notices; store water before a storm and know how to treat more if the tap becomes unsafe.
Risks this edition emphasizes
- Hurricanes and tropical storms — wind damage to lines and poles is the classic multi-day outage.
- Storm surge and inland flooding that make restoration slower and can contaminate water.
- Heat and humidity the moment the A/C stops, including after a storm when debris blocks roads to cooling centers.
- Tornadoes embedded in tropical systems.
- Carbon monoxide after storms, because portable generators are very common in Florida.
Documented outages and official reviews cited in the book
- Hurricane Irma (2017) and Hurricane Ian (2022) each caused widespread, multi-day outages and, in Ian’s case, catastrophic coastal damage in southwest Florida. For customer counts, use EIA, NOAA, or FDEM situational reports issued for that storm rather than a remembered round number.
- Even lesser tropical storms routinely darken counties for hours to days. A household that already lives with hurricane kits is halfway to a 90-day plan — the missing pieces are usually water volume, medical refrigeration, and CO-safe generator habits.
The grid, in plain language
Florida is not in ERCOT. The peninsula is served by investor-owned utilities (including Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy Florida, and Tampa Electric), municipal utilities such as JEA, and many rural cooperatives. Reliability coordination for the Florida peninsula has historically been handled through the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council framework within the Eastern Interconnection. Know your specific utility’s outage map.
Official utility and warning links used in the edition
Water, heat, and cold in Florida
After flooding, assume tap water may be unsafe until officials say otherwise. Store bottled water before a storm. Wells in rural Florida can be contaminated by surge or floodwater and may need official testing, not just boiling, if chemicals or sewage are involved.
Humidity is the multiplier. People with heart disease, older adults, and young children are at higher risk. County emergency management and 211 Florida are the right places to ask about cooling centers after a storm.
A running car is not a bedroom. A generator on a screened porch is still too close. Point exhaust away from the house and neighbors.
Seasonal reminders
- Hurricane season
- Summer heat
- Winter (peninsula)
- Anytime after a storm
Household priorities in this edition
- Know your evacuation zone and your county emergency-management website before June 1.
- If you stay, have more water than you think, a way to keep medically necessary items cold, and a generator plan that is 20+ feet outdoors.
- Fuel and prescriptions are easier to obtain 72 hours before landfall than 6 hours before.
- Do not connect a generator to a wall outlet. Florida’s post-storm CO and backfeeding injuries are a known, preventable pattern (CDC / CPSC).
- Photograph your home and documents now. Storm surge does not wait for you to find the insurance binder.
Checklist extras for Florida
- Bookmark FloridaDisaster.org and the National Hurricane Center
- Look up your county evacuation zone and write it down
- Know your utility’s outage-reporting number and map
- Fill water and fuel before a storm is 48 hours out (store fuel as the container allows — never in living space)
- Refill prescriptions early in the season, not during a watch
- Put the generator’s outdoor parking spot in writing, 20+ feet from openings
- Test CO alarms at the start of hurricane season
- Pack a go-bag even if you currently plan to stay
- Write down 211, 911, Poison Help, and Disaster Distress
- Review the food-safety timeline before you open the fridge after a multi-day outage
Self-defense statute note (not legal advice)
The Florida edition includes this short, sourced note so readers know where to read the current law. It is not legal advice and it is not permission to use force. Statutes change; read the official text.
Florida Statutes Chapter 776 (2026 compilation) covers justifiable use of force. Sections 776.012 and 776.013 address the use of force in defense of persons and home protection / stand-your-ground language, including when a person who is not engaged in criminal activity and is in a place they have a right to be has no duty to retreat. Florida also regulates carrying and storage of weapons separately from this justification chapter. Read the current statutes and local ordinances. This book is not legal advice. Source: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/Chapter776/All
Related national guides: how to prepare for a 90-day blackout · water storage · home security · staying cool · staying warm