Eye on the Tropics

More than 160,000 without power a week after Irma, officials say

ORLANDO, Fla. — Central Florida power company officials said they expect the bulk of customers to have the lights back on by this week following damage to the grid caused by Hurricane Irma.

As of Sunday afternoon, roughly 160,000 people are still without power in Central Florida.

Read: Duke Energy works to get power restored by Sunday for residents in the dark after Hurricane Irma

Duke Energy officials have said they plan to have power restored by the end of Sunday for the bulk of their customers after Hurricane Irma knocked out electricity for more than 1 million people.

With the self-imposed deadline looming, Duke reported close to 112,000 customers were still without power Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m.

At 6 p.m., that reported number doubled to 226,000, according to state figures. As of 9 p.m., the number of outages was down to 193,000 -- with 145,000 of those in Central Florida.

Duke Energy said in a statement that IT systems issues caused the utility to report wrong numbers to the state prior to Sunday afternoon.

Duke Energy has changed their automated system so customers can reach a representative more quickly. By calling 1-800-228-8485, customers have an immediate option to speak to a customer care representative.

Many areas hit by the storm still aren’t accessible for repair trucks, so Duke Energy has been using a fleet of drones to examine the damage.

“There are some places across Central Florida that were very hard hit,” Duke Energy spokesman Lee Freedman said. “We’re looking to clear the lines as quickly and efficiently as we can.”

From the air, crews can determine what materials they will need before crews go in, which means repairs can be completed more quickly, Freedman said.

“We need to make sure (power lines) are property connected and ready to be re-energized, so we can restore power to the neighborhood,” he said.

Interactive map: Duke power outages

Duke Energy customers, though, have been wondering why it has taken so long to get their power turned back on, and why they could never get through to a person on the company's customer service line.

"Every time there's a storm, I've tried to speak to somebody and can never get through," Altamonte Springs resident Michael Schulz said.

Trying to make the same call, Linda Donnelly said she has tried to contact Duke Energy several times.

On her most recent call, she sat listening to hold music for 30 minutes.

Read: Florida home fire sparked when power restored after Irma

"I'm trying again and I'm on hold," she said. "(It's) frustrating and I'm going around trying to help people knock on their doors to see if they're all right."

Although Duke Energy officials believe the majority of customers will have power restored by the end of the weekend, the company admits that some of the areas hit harder by the storm will need additional work, and time.

Thunderstorms that hit Central Florida Thursday night caused additional problems for repair crews, which can’t work when there is lightning.

Read: Seminole County Irma damage includes flooding, possible sinkhole that swallowed van

Residents of the Kelly Park Hill South neighborhood had the same complaint with a twist: They didn't have power, but Duke Energy's automated system says they do.

"They kept telling us, 'You have power. You have power,'" resident Tina Hudson said. "I'm like, 'No we don't. The whole neighborhood is out.'"

Duke Energy told Channel 9 that the company was aware of the issue with its automated system.

While the outages were frustrating, Schulz said he understood that a lot of people were without power and he didn't blame the crews out in the field.

"Those guys are working hard," Schulz said. "It's not like they're not working. They can only be so many places at once."

Watch: Want solar panels? You still have to pay Florida utilities

Duke Energy announced Friday that it was suspending late payment charges, estimated bills and disconnections during the restoration efforts.

"We are all hands on deck with restoration and stopping these actions gives customers one less thing to worry about," Duke Energy Florida President Harry Sideris said. "It allows Duke Energy to focus on what's important -- getting the lights on and helping rebuild communities and lives."

The City of Mount Dora has nearly completed all power restoration with only ten homes remaining without power as of Saturday morning, officials said.

SECO’s Storm Center reported the company had fully restored all customer's power by noon Sunday.

Read: After the hurricane: Central Florida power outage information

The Orlando Utilities Commission said as of Saturday morning, roughly 800 customers were still without power—less than 1 percent of its customers. The company had said it expected a full restoration by Friday night.

Interactive map: OUC power outages

Florida Power & Light reported roughly 293,000 customers are still without power Sunday morning, of which more than 17,000 were in Seminole, Brevard and Volusia counties. FPL said Brevard should expect a full restoration by Monday; Seminole and Volusia by Tuesday.

The Kissimmee Utility Authority said the company has completed full power restoration to their customers.