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At FPL, safety is the cornerstone of our commitment to customers and employees. The destruction caused by Hurricane Ian less than a year ago shows the importance of proactively planning for the upcoming hurricane season. FPL urges Floridians to be prepared and to be aware of potential safety hazards at all times — before, during and after severe weather.
Trees and vegetation making contact with overhead power lines are a leading cause of outages. Before storm season begins on June 1, have your trees properly trimmed to minimize their impact on your home and neighborhood.
Below are a few tips to ensure trees and vegetation can be trimmed safely:
Never attempt to trim any vegetation growing near power lines. Only specially trained line-clearing professionals should work around power lines. Check your local listings to locate a contractor qualified to trim vegetation around power lines.
If you decide to work outside, look up and note the location of power lines before you begin. Careful avoidance of power lines is extremely important during yard work, especially when using tools, ladders, poles or pruning saws. Be sure that ladders, mechanical lifts or scaffolds are far enough away so that you – and any tools you are using – don’t come within 10 feet of neighborhood power lines or 30 feet of all other power lines.
Do not wait for a hurricane or any other major event to have your trees trimmed as trash pickup is suspended once a hurricane warning is in effect and the debris from the trimming may become dangerous projectiles with storm-force winds.
Another way to help reduce outages for you and your neighbors is by planting the right tree in the right place, so it doesn’t grow near power lines. A few tips to prevent your trees from becoming a problem in the future:
Before selecting your tree, make sure you know how tall, wide and deep it will be at maturity. Think about how your tree will impact existing utility lines as it grows taller, wider and deeper. Keeping trees away from power lines means that, in the event they blow over or tree limbs become loose, they’re much less likely to hit a power line and knock out power. This also keeps debris farther away from the lines to speed power restoration efforts.
If you’ll be performing work in your yard that involves digging, Florida law requires you call 811 before you begin, to locate and mark buried power lines and other utilities. Call at least two business days before you begin to avoid unintentionally hitting underground utility lines. You can also submit your request online at www.Sunshine811.com.
Keep the transformer cabinet (green box often found in front of homes) clear at all times to allow for maintenance and repairs. Maintain a “clear zone” of 8 feet in the front and 3 feet in the back and on both sides.
Part of FPL’s year-round storm preparation is a consistent, planned trimming cycle of trees and any other vegetation in the direct path of power lines identified for maintenance. Once a line is selected for maintenance as part of the scheduled program, the entire length of the power line is checked for vegetation issues. FPL will not trim every tree in close proximity to the line. It is the customer’s responsibility to have the other trees that are not in the direct path of lines trimmed utilizing the tips shared above.
By trimming vegetation in the direct path of the entire length of a power line on a regular basis – instead of trimming individual locations – FPL ensures the integrity and reliability of the power line. If a tree condition needs attention outside of regular maintenance, FPL will let you know by leaving an inspection notice card with a scheduled work date.
Go to www.fpl.com/trees to learn more about tree trimming, and visit www.fpl.com/storm to learn more ways to prepare and stay safe this hurricane season.
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