FPL Stands with Puerto Rico

Restoring power to paradise. Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 20, with winds of up to 155-mph wreaking havoc on the island. Since it struck, nearly 3.5 million American citizens that call Puerto Rico home have been without power. From the very beginning, we made it known that we stood ready to offer our help to get the lights back on –and that we would stay as long as our assistance is requested.

When we received a request for mutual aid, our employees sprung into action – working tirelessly throughout the holiday season to coordinate the deployment of bucket trucks and equipment along with lineworkers, management and support staff. They are now working with a 10-person FPL Incident Management Team, tasked with overseeing restoration in one of seven regions on the island.

For some of our employees, their commitment to restoring electric service to our fellow Americans in need goes beyond answering a call to service, it’s personal.

Meet Engineer Frank Silva. Born in 1989, Frank grew up in Bayamon, just west of San Juan. Some of Frank’s family and friends still live in Puerto Rico, including his grandmother. She has been without power since Hurricane Maria hit in late September. Power restoration is more than a job for Frank, it’s continuing a legacy. Frank’s father, Frank Silva, Sr., also worked in the energy industry and restored power to Puerto Rico following Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Now, Frank and his FPL colleagues are on the island committed to restoring service and will remain on the island for as long as their assistance is requested. We’re proud of our employees like Frank who remind us what this massive effort is truly about – the people of Puerto Rico and returning their lives back to normal.