Hurricane Milton reached Category-4 status Monday at 11 a.m., but shortly after that it rapidly intensified, reaching Cat-5 windspeeds.
Hurricane and storm surge watches have been issued for parts of Florida and a surge up to 12 feet threatens the Tampa Bay area, according to the National Hurricane Center. Your co-op’s power supplier, Seminole Electric Cooperative, has a generating station near this region (Hardee/Polk County line), and leadership there is preparing and taking necessary precautions.
As with Hurricane Helene, we are taking proactive moves as Milton also threatens widespread outages to Clay Electric’s service area. All members should have a plan and a hurricane supply kit (follow this link for more information: https://bit.ly/4eN2w7m).
Members who are dependent upon electric-powered life-support should make arrangements as personnel will restore service as soon as possible, but cannot ensure any preferential treatment in this process.
Power outages are best reported through the MyClayElectric app. You can also call 1-888-434-9844, but keep in mind it might be difficult to get through during severe weather.