SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — More than a year after Hurricane Irma, a Seminole County resident says he’s still waiting for a solution to an electrical issue that left him without power for two months.
Dave Day says Florida Power and Light wants him and his neighbor to pay to fix a transformer box that floods after big storms, knocking out his power.
Day says after Hurricane Irma, his neighbors got power on within a week or so, while he and his neighbor lost power for weeks.
“We didn’t get power back on for 59 days, while the rest of the street got it back on in eight days,” said Day.
Day says most of his neighbors get power from above ground utility poles and lines. He says after Irma, floodwaters surrounded a transformer box that supplies he and his next door neighbor with power.
“We were forced to leave our home for two months and find wherever we could to stay,” said Day.
Day says after reaching out to FPL for several months, a crew showed up to his property on September 11 – one year afer Irma hit – to check out the utility box. Day says FPL told him and his neighbor they would have to pay $10,000 to $15,000 of their own money to get the utility box raised two feet.
“Because that is a flood zone – it’s registered as a flood zone – that should have never been placed on the ground,” said Day. “I don’t see why it’s the homeowner’s responsibility. I mean, we pay for our power bill every month.”
Day says he still loses power often after heavy rains flood the area. He believes the utility box is slowly sinking and poses a serious danger.
“Once the water’s that high who knows if you’re walking through the water you could get hurt or electrocuted,” said Day.
Day says he just wants some answers and a solution, so he doesn’t have to go through what he did after Irma -- again.
“It’s a dilemma, and we’re not getting a solution on what is going to be done,” said Day. “I can’t leave home for two months every time we have a storm.”
Spectrum News 13 reached out to FPL. A spokesperson for the utility says they’re looking into the situation and will get back to us.