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Florida After Hurricane Irma - Part 2

Mark Hedden
/
WLRN News
Hurricane Irma caused severe damage in the Florida Keys, leaving an estimate of 10,000 residents homeless.

Hurricane Irma was the strongest storm to hit Florida in more than a decade. It set records on its way through the Atlantic and Caribbean: the longest sustained Category 5 storm of the satellite age, the fastest winds of any storm in the open Atlantic and enough energy for an entire hurricane season -- all in one storm.

Irma put all of Florida on warning. A big storm, with its high winds, heavy rains and risk of storm surge can lead to catastrophic damage. What are local governments doing to prepare for the next threat? We speak with the mayors of Tampa and Miami in Florida After Hurricane Irma, part 2.

Irma also exposed the fragility of our electrical grid. More than a quarter of the state’s electric customers were plunged into darkness during and after the storm. Most of the lights have been turned back on. But now will you be asked to pay for the repair work? We speak with Florida Public Counsel J.R. Kelly, who represents Florida's utility customers before state and federal regulators.

Tom Hudson is WLRN's Senior Economics Editor and Special Correspondent.