Electricity has been restored to 1.1 million locations, a third of all those affected. Damage to substations is at the heart of the restoration process. Of the 241 that were knocked out, all but 85 are back in business, according to Amando Olivera, FPL president. The company has 8,200 field personnel on 16-hour shifts, and, by Sunday, the number will swell to more than 11,000 with an infusion of workers from other states.

Critical infrastructure, such as hospitals, police and fire stations, and sewer and water supplies, is better than 50% restored, reported Geisha Williams, FPL VP for distribution, during a conference call. "Just one hospital in Boca Raton, which was extensively damaged, remains without power," she said. Port Everglades, the critical port for providing gasoline to the area, is back on line. Gas stations, groceries and the commercial sector, including restaurants, fall just behind critical infrastructure in FPL's priorities.

In some cases, the task calls for a ground-up rebuilding of circuitry and lateral lines. "From South Bay to Port St. Lucie," Williams said, "there are areas with 40 to 50 poles down. There are 20 poles down in Miramar." FPL has issued a timeline for recovery, which dates to Nov. 15 for some areas, a timeline it hopes to accelerate, she said.

Meanwhile, several bank branches, Dolphin Mall, and numerous restaurants are open. The Beacon Council, Miami-Dade County's official economic development partnership, is conducting a hurricane assessment survey to gather business disruption information, however, data is not yet available.

Instant Insights /

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