As of 6 a.m., more than 11,000 people in Osceola County, largely in Kissimmee and St. Cloud, were without power and they were not going to get it back for hours. Electrical crews headed for safety before 4 a.m., when stronger feeder bands made their way through the county.
Fire and rescue crews were also being kept off the roads by Frances. During the night, St. Cloud firefighters had to put out a fire at an empty house. Shortly after, officials ordered fire crews in their stations until the winds died down.
Reports of wind damage were minor and sporadic by the early morning. Emergency management officials were expecting Frances' rains to cause flooding -- the Emergency Management Center parking lot had two inches of standing water in it at 6 a.m. -- but by early morning no reports of high water had come in.
