Shocking drone footage has revealed the devastation at a Florida solar farm after a tornado spawned by Hurricane Milton’s tore through its panels.
The storm’s ferocious winds tore through the Lake Placid Solar Power Plant in Highlands County, leaving 97 percent of the county without power in the immediate aftermath.
Incredible aerial footage by Duke Energy shows the extent of destruction to the $100 million facility that powers 12,000 homes.
The plant opened in December 2019.
Shocking drone footage has revealed the devastation at a Florida solar farm after a tornado spawned by Hurricane Milton ‘s tore through its panels
The storm’s ferocious winds tore through the Lake Placid Solar Power Plant in Highlands County, leaving 97 percent of the county without power in the immediate aftermath
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Hurricane Milton photos: Shocking images of Florida damage in full
Over 43,000 customers were still without electricity as of Friday morning, Duke spokesperson Audrey Stasko told the Highland News-Sun, noting that damage to the panels ‘has no effect on customer demand.’
Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm director, described the destruction after the storm.
‘From downed trees and branches falling on our power lines to storm surge flooding our equipment – which causes almost immediate corrosion – our infrastructure was severely damaged by Hurricane Milton,’ he said.
‘We’re making repairs where we can, but we anticipate we will need to rebuild in many areas.
Incredible aerial footage by Duke Energy shows the extent of destruction to the $100 million facility that powers 12,000 homes
‘Despite that, our crews are doing all they can, even working through the night, to get the lights back on for as many customers as possible as quickly as possible.’
The company warned that some areas may face extended outages due to flooding and tornado damage.
The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office asked the public for its patience in the meantime, urging locals not to bombard emergency dispatch with calls about electricity.