LCEC – Lee County Electric Cooperative

Hurricane Updates

Hurricane Irma was one of the most destructive storms in the recent history of Southwest Florida. In the most-impacted areas of the LCEC service territory, the electric system was rebuilt, not just repaired. LCEC works year-round to ensure the electric system is built to withstand harsh weather. Although no system can endure the strongest of storms we work to hardened the system for the best reliability possible. Annual inspections allow us to make repairs or replacements prior to storm season and conduct on-going maintenance so the system is strong and ready for storm events.

From everyone at LCEC, we thank our customers in advance for their patience and support. We are grateful to support from out-of-state crews, vendors, suppliers, first responders, disaster relief organizations, and media from across the nation who will join the LCEC team to restore power as quickly as possible when outages occure. Together, we know we will weather the storm.

Debris pickup
As power restoration takes place after a hurricane, the task of cleaning up utility debris and follow-up begins. An LCEC team, supported by debris-removal vendors, will span the electric system to gather and dispose of utility materials such as poles, wire, transformers, and insulators that may have been left behind during restoration. The impact of the storm may cover a vast area, so cleanup could take some time to complete.

If LCEC damaged your property, please notify us and we will process your claim appropriately. Again, the time frame has not been determined, and we ask your patience.

How does LCEC restore power after a storm?

• After a storm has passed, LCEC quickly begins to assess the damage to the electric system.
• LCEC then begins restoring power to essential services such as hospitals, traffic signals, shelters, communication centers and law enforcement.
• Next, power is restored to the greatest number of customers in the least amount of time by repairing main circuits. Then feeders will be repaired to power up neighborhoods.
• Finally, individual services or services and services that need to be reconnected after repair to the customer’s damaged electrical system are restored.

What if my neighbor has power but I don’t?

• You may be on a different feeder line, or a different transformer may serve your location.
• The transformer serving your location may be damaged. These are the last system devices to be repaired because resources are focused on restoring the greatest number of customers first.
• Your weatherhead conduit (the pipe and wire extending above your roof) may be damaged or bent. If so, you must have an electrician repair it and have an inspection before power can be restored.
• If you own your own underground service, it may be damaged, which is usually caused by tree roots. If so, you must have it repaired by an electrician and inspected before power can be restored.

Don’t connect your generator directly to your home’s wiring at the breaker panel or meter. Connecting a portable electric generator directly to your household wiring can be deadly to you and others. A generator that is directly connected to your home’s wiring can ‘back feed’ onto the power lines connected to your home. Utility transformers can then “step-up” or increase this back feed to thousands of volts—enough to kill a utility lineman making outage repairs a long way from your house. You could also cause expensive damage to utility equipment and your generator.

The only safe way to connect a portable electric generator to your existing wiring is to have a licensed electrical contractor install a transfer switch. The transfer switch transfers power from the utility power lines to the power coming from your generator.

Never plug a portable electric generator into a regular household outlet. Plugging a generator into a regular household outlet can energize “dead” power lines and injure neighbors or utility workers. Connect individual appliances that have their outdoor-rated power cords directly to the receptacle outlet of the generator, or connect these cord-connected appliances to the generator with the appropriate outdoor-rated power cord having a sufficient wire gauge to handle the electrical load.

Don’t overload the generator. Do not operate more appliances and equipment than the output rating of the generator. Overloading your generator can seriously damage your valuable appliances and electronics. Prioritize your needs. A portable electric generator should be used only when necessary, and only to power essential equipment.

Download Hurricane Guide.