Shocking drone footage has revealed the devastation at a Florida solar farm after a tornado spawned by Hurricane Milton pierced the panels.
The storm’s ferocious winds tore through Highlands County’s Lake Placid solar power plant, leaving 97 percent of the county without power in the immediate aftermath.
Incredible aerial footage of Duke Energy shows the extent of the destruction of the $100 million facility that powers 12,000 homes.
The factory opened in December 2019.
Shocking drone footage has revealed the devastation at a Florida solar farm after a tornado spawned by Hurricane Milton pierced the 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.
More than 43,000 customers were still without electricity Friday morning, Duke spokesperson Audrey Stasko told the newspaper. Highland News Sunnoting that damage to the panels “will have no effect on customer demand.”
Todd Fountain, storm director for Duke Energy Florida, described the devastation following the storm.
“From fallen trees and limbs falling on our power lines to storm surge flooding our equipment – causing near-instant corrosion – our infrastructure was severely damaged by Hurricane Milton,” he said.
“We are making repairs where we can, but we expect to have to rebuild in many areas.
Incredible aerial footage from Duke Energy shows the extent of the destruction of the $100 million facility that powers 12,000 homes
“Despite this, our crews are doing everything they can to get the lights back on for as many customers as possible, even throughout the night.”
The company warned that some areas could experience extended outages due to flooding and tornado damage.
The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, meanwhile, asked the public for patience and urged locals not to bombard emergency responders with calls about electricity.