Most common reasons for loss of power and power failures in Florida:
High Winds, Hurricanes & Tornados
It’s summer in Florida, and along the hot humid weather, the usual late-summer thunderstorms that coupled with the warm ocean waters and the earth’s easter rotation form hurricanes such as Arthur that was spawn off the Atlantic Basin. (See How Hurricanes are Formed)
Lightning
Bad weather halts like the one on July 14 2014 in Orlando left Disney’s monorail out of power.
Rain and Flooding
Caused mostly by the late-Florida summer thunderstorms, can result in the loss of power and leave you stranded.
Electrical Glitch
Power outages can also be caused by glitches that can cause nuclear power plants to shut down such as the latest one that affected 3 million people in 2008 according to this article on NBC News (Widespread Power Outages in South Florida.
Ice Storms
Fortunately in Florida residents don’t have to worry about ice storms which are rare situations like the ice and snow at the Florida Penhandle in January 2014.
How to Prevent Power Outages
The high temperatures and humidity plays a big roll in the Florida summer time weather, so it’s important to be ahead of the game. One way to prevent from the loss of power is to purchase a standby generator, which turns the power within seconds of any power failure. Such power systems can power a whole house including a few AC’s or just a few appliances, but in the midst of a severe weather condition could be a important factor for a family specially in a hot summer day.
Other Causes of Power Outages
Vehicle accidents that break pulls cause power lines to be down are the most common reason for a loss of power in neighborhoods.
Resources:
To keep an eye on the local weather
http://www.weather.com/weather/map/interactive/USFL0512:1?interactiveMapLayer=radar&baseMap=r&zoom=7
6 to 10 Days Climate Prediction Map
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/610day/
Check Power Outages
http://www.fplmaps.com/
Check the U.S. Flooding Map
http://www.esri.com/services/disaster-response/floods/latest-news-map
https://msc.fema.gov/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/FemaWelcomeView?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1
Flood Warnings, Watches or Advisories for Florida
http://alerts.weather.gov/cap/fl.php?x=1
What to Do Before, During and After a Hurricane
http://www.ready.gov/hurricanes
