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12 Kissimmee Utility Authority linemen headed out to the Panhandle to assist with power restoration efforts there in the wake of Hurricane Idalia. PHOTO/KUA -
Off to help: KUA's Nick Aviles, Allen Carver, Kyle Castleton, Alberto Gutierrez, Dustin Kelley, Tyler Mook, Steffon Radcliff, Robert Rivera, Yiovannee Rivera, Luis Santiago, Willie Simmons and Billy Sutphin.
Authorities from the cities of Saint Cloud and Kissimmee, Osceola County and the Osceola County Sheriff's Office reported no incidents, damage or major flooding. Due to the limited amount of rainfall on record, there are no concerns about the capacity of local storm basins, including Shingle Creek. There was a tornado warning early Tuesday in the Narcoossee area, but no reports of damage.
Kissimmee Utility Authority briefly reportedly single outages during the day that affected single units, but those issues were fixed quickly. KUA crews are now headed to the Tallahassee area to assist with restoration efforts. The dozen line workers departed Kissimmee around 2 p.m. and will join more than 200 visiting crews from Louisiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.
“I am relieved and grateful to report that we have successfully weathered the challenges posed by Hurricane Idalia,” said Osceola Commission Chairwoman Viviana Janer. “By taking the storm threat seriously and acting responsibly, our residents played an integral role in minimizing the impact of Hurricane Idalia. It’s a testament to the fact that we our strongest when we come together, support one another, and face adversity as a united front. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the hardworking Osceola County employees and our invaluable partners who worked to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents.”
If you had yard cleanup and some downed limbs, twigs or the like, separate storm debris from normal household garbage. Storm debris should not be placed within three feet of fire hydrants, mailboxes, parked vehicles, or any sign of utility equipment.
While local offices and schools were closed Wednesday and some services paused, everything returns to normal on Thursday, include schools and City Hall-type places. High school football is back on Friday night, but teams will have to dodge some rain (an early season ritual) as Harmony, Tohopekaliga, St. Cloud (at Austin Tindall Park) and Liberty host 7 p.m. games. LYNX and SunRail will also resume normal bus and train routes on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, Gov. Ron DeSantis reported there were no fatalities in the state from the direct impacts of the storm, which came ashore in Taylor County around 7:45 a.m. as a major Category 3 storm.
“I can tell you, with Hurricane Ian … within an hour after it hitting, there were frantic phone calls to 911 locally there, of people that were literally drowning in their house,” DeSantis said. “And I remember talking to the sheriff down in Lee County on the phone, just the feeling of dread that those phone calls represented. You knew that there were going to be a lot of problems. We have not seen that in the same way on this storm.” (quote from News Service of Florida)
Well done, Osceola.
