Statewide, 95 percent of electric customers had power as of dinnertime Monday, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis in a press conference from Cape Coral, where arguably a good portion of the 5 percent without power live.
But Cape Coral’s bigger problem is the sewer system. “Now that we have water, our [sewer] lift stations are failing,” said Cape Coral Mayor John Guthrie. He said he reached out to Gov. DeSantis this morning and talked to his wife, Casey, saying the city needed generators.
A hundred generators are on the way to Cape Coral, DeSantis said at the conference.
At that point, in Charlotte County, 58 percent of power customers and in Lee County, 55 percent of power customers were still without service. But 1,000 linemen had come to Southwest Florida to assist with power restoration efforts. Before the storm hit, he said, there already were 42,000 linemen stationed throughout Florida.
Meanwhile, temporary fixes are on the immediate agenda for Pine Island and Sanibel bridges, DeSantis said.
In Lee County, eight of 28 pods deployed statewide contain nonperishable food and water and include Starlink satellite receivers that will give wifi access to people who bring their phones to the pod areas. To find a food distribution center, go to www.floridadisaster.org or call or text 1-800-985-5990.
DeSantis said that 1,600,000 gallons have come to Southwest Florida, including a tank full of fuel in DeSoto County. He urged municipalities to engage debris removal companies before disaster declarations – declared Sept. 23, with a 30-day window – expire.