SARASOTA, FL — As damage assessments continue following Sunday morning’s severe storms and tornadoes in the Tampa Bay area, widespread power outages are being reported in both Sarasota and Manatee counties.
Sarasota County emergency management officials estimated as many as 17,000 people were without power early Sunday morning with major concentrations in the Siesta Key area. As of 10:30 a.m., Florida Power & Light confirmed about 6,000 customers in Sarasota County and roughly 1,700 in Manatee County were still without power.
The electric company was moving additional resources to the west coast to assist with restoration efforts, FPL spokeswoman Marie Bertot told Patch. As of Sunday morning, the company was estimating service would be restored to most customers by 6 p.m.
FPL tweeted just after 6 p.m. that some customers along the west coast remain without power. “Restoration will take longer as crews clear debris and vegetation from power lines,” the company said.
Restoration efforts, Bertot said, are being hampered by continued foul weather and safety concerns.
“We have crews out there responding as quickly as possible,” she said.
FPL is also working with emergency management officials in both counties to expedite power restoration, Bertot added.
Sarasota County government officials are urging residents to stay off local roads as cleanup efforts continue.
FPL customers who need to check on restoration efforts or report an outage may do so by calling 1-800-4OUTAGE or by going online to FPL.com.
Sunday’s storms witnessed at least two tornado touchdowns. Two people were killed in Duette and five injured when an EF-2 tornado touched down. A tornado also ripped through Sarasota and Siesta Key, causing widespread damage.
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