ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) announced they hope to restore power to 95% of their customers by midnight tonight, as residents across Central Florida deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
For many, the restoration cannot come soon enough after days without electricity.
Steve Balazs, a frustrated Orlando resident, described the challenges without power.
“I’m thinking we’re good. 8 o’clock? Boom. The power goes out. Eight a.m. after the storm had passed, and we’ve been without since then,” Balazs said.
Also in Volusia County, there are several areas that remained without power as of Friday night.
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Nannette Harmon, a Deltona resident, expressed concern for her neighbors, especially those with young children.
“I feel bad for them because the lady across the street has a baby and she has no electricity,” Harmon said.
Despite the difficult conditions, she noted the sense of community.
“They’ve all helped one another. They came to my house because I’m an older lady. I’m 76 years old,” Harmon.
Duke Energy and OUC said they are operating around the clock to restore power to affected areas.
“We understand how frustrating and hard it can be without power, especially here in Florida,” a Duke Energy spokesperson said. “The biggest thing is we just had a catastrophic storm in Florida.”
Although power is being restored in phases, full restoration may not occur until late Sunday night, both OUC and Duke Energy said.