Digital Transformation for Hurricane Response: Enhancing Emergency Preparedness with GIS at Lakeland Electric

Lakeland Electric, serving 127,000 customers in hurricane-prone central Florida, embarked on a digital transformation to address the challenges of post-storm damage assessment and power restoration. Hurricanes frequently cause extensive damage to electric infrastructure, creating urgency in repair work and coordination, particularly with mutual aid crews from neighbouring utilities. The Damage Assessment Restoration Toolset (DARTS) was developed to improve the speed, accuracy, and effectiveness of Lakeland Electric's response efforts. Leveraging their existing GIS infrastructure, the utility integrated ArcGIS applications to create a robust, real-time damage assessment and restoration process. Field crews equipped with iPads could gather precise data, including geolocated photographs and details of damages, even in areas with poor cellular connectivity. This information was instantly available on live dashboards, enabling management to prioritize and assign work orders efficiently.