Where Were You When the Power Went Out?
On Friday, August 3, around 24,000 Florida Keys residents lost power as result of a broken insulator and a downed power line outside of the Big Coppitt Key substation.
The islands suddenly went dark at 11:12 p.m., however Keys Energy Services’ customers from the Big Pine Key substation were unaffected. For some, it meant relocating the party to a bar with a generator or spending a few hours under clear star-lit skies, but for others the power outage stretched until late Saturday morning – causing a sweltering, sleepless night.
When working on repairs, Keys Energy Services’ crews struggled with accessibility issues due to thick vegetation, but the local, back-up generation was able to bring most residents back online throughout the early morning hours. However, around 9,000 customers were unable to be powered by local generation – most around Stadium Trailer Park and Northside Drive in Key West; Big Coppitt to Summerland Key; and portions of Cudjoe and the Torch Keys.
By 10:30 a.m. the power had been fully restored to all areas.