Overview
- Powerful storms that moved through on Saturday afternoon toppled large trees and tore the roof off a business, photos posted by Ocala Fire Rescue show.
- Ocala Electric Utility reported crews found significant damage to distribution equipment and mobilized an 'all hands on deck' response to assess and repair the system.
- The utility's interactive outage map showed at least 1,810 customers without power at the last update and officials warned that counts may change as crews complete field checks.
- Crews are working around the clock but rain and ongoing hazards from downed lines have slowed some repairs, and residents were urged to stay away from damaged electrical equipment and report hazards.
- Florida's summer storms often bring sudden high winds that topple trees and damage power infrastructure, so prolonged outages and continued service updates are likely as crews make repairs.