Florida Power & Light says that it has strengthened the energy grid serving Sarasota as part of 2021 reliability and storm preparedness efforts. The move comes as the National Hurricane Center announced that t will begin issuing daily outlooks starting May 15—two weeks earlier than in the past. The decision came after the 2020 hurricane season shattered records with 30 named storms, including two that formed in May.

Planned FPL improvements include 68 Storm Secure Underground Program (SSUP) projects; strengthening 12 main power lines, including those that serve critical services that are necessary for communities to recover faster after major storms; inspecting and clearing tree branches and vegetation—a major cause of power outages—from 541 miles of power lines; installing smart grid technology, including 288 automated switches on main and neighborhood power lines to help detect problems and restore service faster when outages occur; and inspecting 14 main power lines and equipment using infrared technology to detect issues before they cause a power interruption.