A Power Outage in and of itself is not necessarily an emergency.  However, as was seen in New York City on August 14, 2003 when power was interrupted to several states and parts of Canada and millions of people were suddenly left without power, a large-scale metropolitan power outage can wreak havoc.

Photo of people leaving New York City during blackout. ->

Our need for power in order to maintain a normal lifestyle is a necessity, this was clear in South Florida during the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma, when most of the area was left without power; for weeks in some areas.

Large-scale power outages can occur due to a natural event (such as a hurricane), a terrorist attack, or technological failure.  The effects of a blackout are generally immediate with mass traffic congestion being at the forefront.  The City of Hollywood Public Works Department has created hundreds of stand-alone stop signs for placement at intersections in the event of a blackout.  The Hollywood Police Department will also assign Police Officers to all major intersections during high traffic times in the event of a blackout.

In South Florida, our electricity provider is Florida Power and Light.  To learn more about FPL, visit their website at:

Florida Power & Light