has left large swaths of Florida underwater and in darkness, with some out of power as of midday Thursday.
Three-fourths of those outages are concentrated across the seven counties closest to where the storm came ashore, with the hardest-hit coastal counties of Lee and Charlotte "," as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis put it at a morning briefing. About 90% of the region is without power. (Read below for tips on staying safe when the power goes out — and for using portable generators safely.)
He said that while crews are ready to begin evaluations and repairs, the extent of the damage in those counties, among other areas, will require significant rebuilding that could take weeks or longer.
And as parts of Florida embark on what could be a long road to recovery, its northern neighbors are still bracing for impact. Forecasters say the tropical storm could regain hurricane intensity as it moves toward coastal South Carolina, where it's expected to make a second U.S. landfall on Friday.
The National Hurricane Center put the state's entire coastline on Thursday morning, advising that all "preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion."
Fortunately, there are things you can do to prepare for a power outage. the following tips:
After the storm passes you'll probably want to haul out your portable generator, if you have one.
But don't do so before reading up on safety tips — , which can be fatal after just a few minutes (and kills some 85 people each year, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC).
In fact, after Hurricane Laura struck Louisiana in 2020, data revealed that than the storm itself.
And the same was true after Hurricane Irma, which made landfall in the Florida Keys in 2017 — according to there were 11 directly hurricane-related deaths compared to 16 deaths from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.
when it comes to operating a portable generator safely, according to the CPSC:
And, if you're going to be buying or replacing a portable generator anytime soon, look for one with a . They're designed to turn off automatically when high levels of CO are present.
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