Lakeland Electric has identified the parts of its grid that were hit the hardest by Hurricane Irma and said some of the roughly 2,000 people there can expect to be without power until Tuesday or Wednesday. All others without power should be restored by Sunday, the utility said in a Facebook post.
The areas that will take longer include:
- Lake Hollingsworth area (southwest side of the lake)
- Southgate Area (Beacon Road south to Imperial Boulevard)
- Sylvester Road area (sest of U.S. 98 and between Sylvester Road and Crystal Lake Road)
Other updates:
- Polk County’s midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew has been lifted, with county officials saying enough power has been restored that the danger is lessened. While some businesses had complained about the curfew while it was in effect, news that it was lifted drew Facebook protests from homeowners on darkened streets who feel vulnerable to vandals. City officials said police patrols will remain intensified after dark.
- Lakeland Electric has “busted through the 10,000 barrier,” General Manager Joel Ivy told city commissioners this morning. As of noon, 9,700 customers were reported without power.
- Twenty more line crews from out of state are expected to arrive in Lakeland Saturday to assist with power restoration, Ivy said.
- FEMA is distributing food and water at Lakeland Victory Church, 1401 Griffin Road. Residents in need can get two cases of water and one case of meals-ready-to-eat from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. until power is restored.
- Regular Citrus Connection bus service is resuming, with Saturday service returning tomorrow and weekday service returning Monday.
- Debris collection by FEMA contractors is expected to start Monday instead of Sunday, as previously reported. City crews are already collecting yard debris.
- Lakeland water and wastewater operations have been restored “for the most part,” City Manager Tony Delgado told city commissioners this morning.
- Water at all lakes except Bonnie and Parker has been reduced to manageable levels, Delgado said.
- City teams have identified more than 2,700 damaged structures, more than half of them mobile homes, Assistant Community Development Director Celeste Deardorff said.
- Code enforcement staff is helping gather information to justify FEMA dollars, she said. While some on social media feared the code enforcement staff were building enforcement cases, she said enforcement will be relaxed as hurricane damage is restored.
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I DON’T understand why we are with out power I drove 360 around cherry tree estates and every street and home, Yates road,cherry tree ,old 37 ,Lund road ALL has power But us why? I can see the fuse just laying open on the pole just as you enter Cherry tree estates.
It makes no sense why Keman drive has no power with power all around us.
When will E Highland Drive/Brookwood Dr area get power-we were the first to lose it last Sunday at 2:30pm???
As I read the comments on this page I realize that there are a lot of selfish people in Lakeland. They can electric is working as hard as they can to fix power to people without. Are we as Americans that spoiled that we cannot go without power for a week There are people in Third World countries that goal without power on an every day basis. They live in checks with no AC dirt floors and they are happy every day we need to man up and let Lakeland electric do their job. PS stop complaining
Okay I understand what your saying Mr. Johnson but we don’t live in a third world country and I want the power back on because it is getting kinda expensive running a generator. I do not have that kind of money so yes I would like the power back on i am not being a bad or selfish person I am running out of no ey to keep my refrigerator running and cold showers are for the birds and not only that I have a granddaughter who has seizures needs A.C. so yes I would like the power back on.
He probably has power as for us without we are over it we don’t live in a third world country we want our power back on a week is long enough
I think the linemen are doing their job. I also think LE put up lines the lazy and easiest way for them from the get go. Now these out of state companies have to come in and do triple the work to get something done. Hope this is a huge wake up call for LE!
I live on Wabash side of Lakeland we still are without Power they told us we was not in a bad area I just don’t understand why we don’t even see trucks in the area and nothing we looked there’s no lines down at least we need to see trucks working anything this is crazy lost all the food everybody in the area