Just over two weeks after Hurricane Milton ripped through Southwest Florida, residents are still dealing with power surges frying appliances.
Fort Myers resident Donna Porter says she lost appliances like her oven and dishwasher. Porter said she heard a popping noise on Friday night, and she realized something was wrong.
“My fan made a real funny noise and scared me. I got up and turned it off, and I heard a popping sound. I smelled something burning, and when I pulled the plug from the outlet, it was hot,” Porter said.
One of her multi-plug outlets began sparking and melted. She and three of her neighbors along Saint Andrews Circle are facing the costly fallout of these power surges after losing appliances.
They were all hooked up to the same transformer.
Debie Almeida, Porter's next-door neighbor, also lost several major appliances. She had everything unplugged, but when she plugged them back in after she got power, her appliances began blowing up.
“I didn't realize that things were surging because I went to sleep. And so as they were flashing, things were blowing out,” Almeida said. “I’ve probably lost 10 major appliances.”
On top of that, Almeida said three wires going to her home were bad, so she did not get power until yesterday, despite her neighbors getting it back on Saturday.
Florida Power & Light said hurricanes can damage electrical equipment, even weeks after the storm passed.
FPL said in a statement, "Hurricanes can have long-term effects that aren’t always immediately apparent. For example, many trees and branches have been weakened by the storm and could fall in the coming weeks and months onto power lines and electrical equipment, potentially causing momentary flickers or disrupting power entirely. In addition, salt spray or storm surge in areas near the coastline could weaken some electrical connections. Significant wind gusts during the hurricane may also have loosened some electrical connections, which may have led to increased outages and flickers days and weeks later. Rest assured, as we experience outages after the storm, we’ll be working safely and as quickly as possible to restore service and repair any conditions discovered."
The extreme weather often damages power lines and electrical equipment, interrupting the flow of electricity. When the power is restored, it can lead to sudden spikes in electrical currents, which can wreak havoc on household appliances.
Despite these challenges, Almeida shared how the community is coming together. After losing power for days, her neighbors brought her breakfast and hot coffee, offering outlets to charge her devices.
“We take good care of each other here,” she said, smiling.
As Southwest Florida continues to recover, residents are banding together to navigate the post-hurricane challenges that remain.
While you cannot predict when a power surge might happen, you can use equipment to isolate appliances when they do occur.
Sears Home Services says you can plug electrical devices into a surge protector outlet plug adapter or power strip. Surge protectors absorb power surges and prevent damaging currents from reaching appliances.