HURRICANE IRMA
BOB BERNIER
As usual in big storms, Orange Blossom Business Center, formerly Orange Blossom Mall, was flooded out. The St. Lucie County School District’s administrative
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“We have received much praise as a result of the constant
flow of information to our citizens via social media, which was
pretty much nonexistent in Frances and Jeanne,” Hudson said.
Port St. Lucie sent out more than 18 press releases detailing
everything the city was doing to prepare and then to recover
from the storm. Social media helped, said spokeswoman
Sarah Prohaska. The flow of information far exceeded the
city’s official communications during Frances and Jeanne.
Long cavalcades of linemen from power companies all
over the country and Canada hit the highways in their trucks,
headed for Florida where more than 6 million people were
without electricity.
While some local residents reported that they never lost
electricity throughout Hurricane Irma, thousands of others
did. Indian River County’s Flescher said 45,000 residents of
his county were without power at the height of the storm.
RESTORING POWER
Fort Pierce Utilities Authority had to restore power to more
than 83 percent of its customers and did so by Sept. 18, using
its own 14 linesmen and 22 from Michigan. Florida Power and
Light, with 4.4 million customers affected across the state had
14,000 from around the country workers to assist with repairs.
There was some flooding, but nothing like there was dur- >>
offices and other offices inside were also flooded.
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