140,000 were without power after Florida storms battered Tallahassee, Pensacola and other places
More than 140,000 power outages were reported across Florida late Friday afternoon, hours after severe storms swept left heavy damage in many areas. One woman was killed in Tallahassee when a tree crashed into her home, according to the Leon County Sheriff's Office.
Most of the outages were in Leon County, with tens of thousands of outages reported through the day.
Trees were downed and buildings damaged across Tallahassee. Eyewitness accounts report severe damage at Florida State University and Tallahassee Railroad Square. Schools across Tallahassee have been closed. City of Tallahassee crews are working to restore power but warn it may take some time.
"With possible tornadic activity in Tallahassee, early assessments of the electric grid show severe damage to transmission lines, impacting 11 substations," the city posted on X Friday morning. "Restoration will possibly take through the weekend. Mutual aid has been requested. Crews from 8 utilities are on their way to assist from Central Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, and Jacksonville. Over 66,000 customers are without service."
The outages come the day after Tallahassee tied its record for the date's highest temperature with 95 degrees, and the highest average temperature ever of 77.35 for the day, according to Weather Underground. The area is expected to reach a high of 85 degrees Friday.
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Track Florida power outages
Leon County, Florida power outage map
When power goes out
Report it to your local power company.
If you see downed or damaged power lines, call 911 to report it but stay at least 35 feet away from them and anything they are touching,
Don't walk into flooded areas, there may be downed power lines you can't see.
Stay cool(er) without power
Temporarily, hold on to your cool air. Keep windows and doors closed and close curtains, blinds and shutters to keep light and heat out of the house. Close off the hottest rooms in the house and stay on lower levels.
When your home heats up, open doors and windows to create a cross breeze and keep airflow moving.
Stay on the ground floor as much as possible.
Roll up and remove area rugs on wood or tile floors.
Wet your curtains, wring them out so they're damp, and open the windows. The outside air will cool down as it passes through the damp fabric. You also can dampen a bedsheet or large bath towel and hang them in front of a window. Keep a spray bottle handy to spritz the cloth again if it dries out.
When the power comes back on
Throw out any refrigerated food, especially dairy and meat, exposed to temperatures 40 degrees or higher for two hours or more. Also throw out anything with an unusual odor, color or texture. If you're not sure, toss it.
If the power is out for more than a day, safely discard any medications that require refrigeration unless the drug's label says otherwise. Contact your healthcare provider to resupply.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida power outages: Storms, wind leave thousands without power
