MARCO ISLAND — More than 3,000 Marco Island residents and businesses woke up in the dark Tuesday morning after an island power outage. According to LCEC spokeswoman Kathleen Taylor, the power outage occurred around 6:15 a.m., Thursday morning and was centered at the intersection of Collier Boulevard and Winterberry Drive.
As of 11 a.m., the outage had been fixed.
“The power has been restored to all customers on Marco Island,” said Taylor.
While many of the customers woke up in the dark, others woke up to more varied surprises.
Tracy Wivestad, who lives on Winterberry Drive, said she heard a weird noise at about 6 a.m. It was something like “waah,” she said.
“I woke up with two kids with flashlights in my eyes because the noise woke them up and an 80-pound dog on my bed shaking from the storm and noise,” Wivestad said.
A drive by the 7-Eleven, at Winterberry and Collier Blvd., indicated a slow morning start-up for many workers. The store was dark and there wasn’t any coffee or donuts as workers huddled near the door awaiting their morning pick-me-ups.
Councilman Ted Forcht, who moved in the last couple days from Winterberry Drive to the South Heathwood area of the Island, said with his generator he wouldn’t be aware of a power outage.
His friend Larry Clark, staying on Winterberry Drive, likewise was unaffected and unaware due of the power outage.
Clark said that for some reason his side of the street never seems to lose power, even during Hurricane Wilma in 2006. He said neighbors and people right across the street lost power. "Must be karma," he said with a laugh.
“We’re looking at approximately 3,600 customers out,” said Taylor in an interview with Naples Daily News staff earlier in the morning.
Forcht reported to the Eagle that with a look up and down the streets, it didn’t seem too many people were affected as many part-time residents headed back to their northern homes in the last few days and weeks.
Taylor said the first thing the company did was send out line crew to make sure that it was safe to work on the line.
They determined that the damaged was in an underground line, and as of 9:30 a.m., a repair crew was already working on the issue, Taylor said.
The power was back up and running by 11 a.m., without any major reported incidences caused by the outage.
Catch of the Day: May 23, 2013
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 11
multi_million_heir writes:
"They determined that the damaged was in an underground line".
five hours to fix an underground line. how long if it wasnt underground, less than an hour?
MarcoJimbo writes:
The Electric Municipalization Committee voted to disband rather than recommend a City buyout of LCEC to continue the Overhead to Underground Conversion Project. As City councilman Ted Forcht's friend Larry said, "Must be karma". Jim Wilson-committee member.
lauralbi1 writes:
How short sighted of you bloggers. Wait until the next huirricane and then let's see how fast you run into a corner.
Ed Issler
MarcoJimbo writes:
Get real Ed,this cable failed during a spring shower,not a hurricane. The undergrounding project makes even less sense than the STRP,another major public works construction boondoggle. But then, you supported that one too.
happy6 writes:
ED,ED,ED...we were without power less than 3 days after Wilma...were you here? when we have a major hurrican with a storm surge it makes no difference where the wires are...up or down...they'll be no power. you're still a self-centered idiot.
SaraBeth (Inactive) writes:
It takes more time and money to repair underground utilities verses overhead...fact.
lauralbi1 writes:
Shadow: I cannot thank you enough for making my point. Three days is not 3 hours or not down at all. I consider 3 days a major outage. Once again, let me thank you for making my point. Keep up the good work !!
Ed Issler
strike3 writes:
Ed,
Shadow didn't make your point! F$ck you're dumb! Less than 3 days after wilma on Marco vs 3 weeks in Naples with no power. Were talking the city of Naples, 5th Ave and surrounding area. No power for 3 weeks or more to residential homes in that area. How do I know? I worked with someone living there. Was a miserable month for this person!
Lets disconnect your power for 3 weeks and see what you call that outage.
multi_million_heir writes:
ed, i have had power restored very quickly after every major storm. within hours of the storm passing, not days. probably quicker after charley than it took to repair that underground line. and once everything is under standing water and we have high water tables from a tropical system do you really think they'll be digging?
sailingalong writes:
Ed Issler is a self centered idiot as stated above. He and Waldud must have come from the same gene pool. These are the same idiots that will ignore the major sewer spills that we are now experiencing as a result of the STRP. These spills have resulted in thousands of gallons of raw sewerage being dumped into our swales during the past two months. This is many times more than the entire amount of effluent spilled due to septic tanks in the history of Marco.
playballonK writes:
Thank God for LCEC!
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.