More warnings helps power company

MIAMI, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- After Jeanne, the third hurricane to hit Florida this year, customers of Florida Power and Light Corp. were howling at the utility when they lost power.

But three weeks later when Frances hit, the company went to great lengths to tell customers their power wouldn't be restored for three weeks.

The warning worked, and complaints were way down.

"Whereas I had not received on e-mail as to the status of their efforts (after Frances), I was receiving five a day (with Jeanne)," Boca Raton, Fla., Mayor Steven Abrams said.

"What I saw, basically was the difference in the whole level of communications," Abrams said.

FPL officials said they underestimated what the public wanted to know about when the lights would be turned back on.

State Sen. Ron Klein said he is still not happy with FPL's performance.

He said the warning after Jeanne was equally as "useless" as their lack of performance after Frances.