Lakeland Electric prepared for hurricane season after trial run in Tallahassee

Preparing for hurricane season

Carla Bayron reports

LAKELAND, Fla. - Utility companies are always bracing for the worst when it comes to hurricane season and this year's outlook is expected to be busier than normal.

Lakeland Electric got an early kickoff to the hurricane season with a test run in Tallahassee. The company assisted the city after a severe storm spurred at least three tornadoes two weeks ago. The storms packed hurricane-force winds of 80-100 miles per hour.

"We were able to ramp up resources within just a couple of hours and have them on the road to Tallahassee that Friday," said Corey Bush, the emergency operations manager. "For those younger less experienced folks to be up in a devastating event and sharpen their knives, so to speak, and learn operating under that pressure and under that immense amount of damage they had is valuable."

READ: Florida's tax ‘holiday’ teed up for storm season

This hurricane season is expected to be more active as NOAA anticipates anywhere from 17 to 25 named storms with up to 13 becoming hurricanes.

During the beginning of the year every year, Lakeland Electric ramps up communications within their different divisions and makes sure all the necessary training has been completed. They also look at how much material they have, such as poles, transformers and wire.

"We are well stocked," said Bush. "We have over $26 million of stock ready to go for a storm. We have 500 pole mounted transformers. It's always the big topic. Do we have enough material to facilitate the restoration and the answer to that is yes, we do."

Wherever the storm hits, they're ready to provide mutual aid across Florida and beyond. The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1 and lasts until November 30.

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