Apr 23, 2009 7:34 pm US/Eastern
FPL Gets Ready For Hurricane Season
New Power Poles Installed Around Westchester Hospital
WESTCHESTER (CBS4) ―
With the start of the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season a little more than a month away, Florida Power & Light is ramping up their efforts to keep the power on during and after a storm.
Thursday the company will finish installing new power poles around Westchester Hospital located at 2500 SW 75th Avenue. The hospital was identified as one of 80 critical infrastructure facilities around the state that FPL planned to strengthen this year.
"This is just one of many projects FPL is doing throughout its service territory in Florida. This is one of eleven hospitals that we are focusing on in Miami-Dade alone this year," said FPL spokeswoman Sarah Marmion. "The intent is to strengthen the power infrastructure delivery system that's bringing power into this hospital. As a result we've replaced about 140 poles and the last pole as a part of this project is going in today."
Other critical infrastructure facilities scheduled for 'hardening' projects include police/fire stations, water plants, emergency broadcast facilities and more hospitals.
The new 70 foot concrete poles installed at Westchester Hospital can withstand wind speeds of 145 mph. Marmion said if a power line snaps off one of these poles during a storm, it will be a fast and easy repair.
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