Florida energy company braces for Hurricane Ian: We 'train 365 days a year' for this
Power outages in Florida surge past 330K as the Category 4 storm's eyewall moves on shore
Duke Energy Florida State president Melissa Seixas details Florida's Hurricane Ian preparation as thousands face power outages ahead of the storm reaching land.
As thousands along Florida's southwest coast report power outages as Hurricane Ian nears landfall, Duke Energy Florida State president Melissa Seixas joined "Cavuto: Coast to Coast" Wednesday to discuss the company's preparation efforts for the Category 4 storm.
"We have nearly 10,000 resources that are already staged here in the state of Florida, an impressive site. And doing that allows us to respond quickly," Seixas said.
"So we feel like we are very well-prepared to move those resources immediately when it's safe for us to begin our damage assessment and get out there and start restoring power as soon as possible."
LIVE NEWS: HURRICANE IAN'S DANGEROUS EYEWALL MOVING ONSHORE IN FLORIDA WITH CATEGORY 4 FORCE
A bicyclist rides past a sign reading, 'No Ice Cream for Ian,' painted on a building that is boarded up for the possible arrival of Hurricane Ian on Sept. 27, 2022, in St Petersburg, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Hurricane Ian has grown from a tropical storm in the Atlantic into a Category 4 hurricane, nearing Category 5 strength with winds reportedly reaching 155 miles per hour.
Earlier this week, the powerful storm rocked Cuba, leaving the island nation struggling to recover 10 days later. Upwards of 1 million residents were left without power with streets flooded and infrastructure destroyed.
Florida's southwest coastline is preparing to see the eye of the storm at full strength. However, a curve in Ian's path trajectory has central Florida bracing for impact.
Many experts are drawing a connection to Hurricane Charley, a Category 4 storm that throttled the middle of Florida in 2004.
"Because the storm is so wide, our system will see the impacts from wind, flooding, rain, especially as it exits the state across central Florida," Seixas told host Neil Cavuto.
Florida Mayor John Gunter discusses the extensive safety measures being implemented to protect residents of Cape Coral as the city prepares for Hurricane Ian on ‘Cavuto: Coast to Coast.’
As Hurricane Ian makes landfall late Wednesday afternoon, officials have warned any residents who did not leave during the initial evacuation orders to stay inside and avoid travel.
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"So really right now, what we're focused on is emphasizing to our customers that they need to be prepared to heed the warnings from their emergency management agencies," Seixas said.
"We train 365 days a year for just these type of events."