Why does my next-door neighbor have electricity even though I don't?
An outage can be caused by any number of factors. A downed distribution line coming out of a substation might affect an entire neighborhood. A blown transformer could affect just a few homes on one side of the street. A broken "service drop" connecting your home to a nearby power line will cut out power to you alone.
Why hasn't the power company sent linemen in my neighborhood to restore electricity?
For much of the weekend, the weather was too hazardous for linemen to make most repairs. Some linemen ventured out Sunday for emergency work or simple repairs that didn't require going up in a bucket. Progress Energy and Tampa Electric weren't able to send out large numbers of repair crews until Monday, so it may be a while before they are able to reach your neighborhood.
Who can I call if I don't have power?
Call your power company: Progress Energy toll-free at 1-800-228-8485; Tampa Electric toll-free at 1-800-223-0800; Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative at 352-567-5133 or 727-868-9465; Sumter Electric Cooperative at 352-793-3801.
Where did the most rain fall?
Heavy rain was so widespread it's hard to say. The National Weather Service recorded 6 to 8 inches of rain across most of Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando and north Pinellas counties.
What do I do if my house flooded and I don't have flood insurance?
Contact your insurance carrier first. If the flooding was due to high winds pushing water inside or a hole in the roof, it may be covered by homeowners' insurance. If not, help is available through FEMA since Florida has been declared a national disaster area.
Why shouldn't I flush my toilet?
Pinellas County officials have advised residents without power not to shower or flush toilets because many pump stations also have lost power in the same areas. Flushing your toilet could make sewage back up. Hillsborough also is asking residents not to flush unless absolutely necessary.
If Hurricane Ivan comes here, will the ground still be saturated from Frances, making flooding worse?
It's too soon to know whether Ivan will come close to Tampa Bay. The more immediate issue is that the Tampa Bay area is still in the rainy season, and the ground is so saturated that any heavy rainfall has the potential for flooding problems.
When was the last time three hurricanes hit Florida in one year?
In 1964: Cleo, Aug. 27-29; Dora, Sept. 9-11; and Isbell, Oct. 14.
How did the damage from Hurricane Frances differ from Hurricane Charley?
Frances had slower winds than Charley, but also moved more slowly, dumping more rain over a wide area. One way to tell the difference: Charley's high winds snapped trees like matchsticks. Frances' heavy rain soaked the ground, and then its winds uprooted them.
Who can I call to find out if my travel route is flooded?
Don't call emergency numbers. Call 511, the new travel information service.
If I get to an intersection where the traffic light is not working, what do I do?
Treat it as you would a four-way stop.
Are the airports open?
Tampa International Airport and St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport reopened Monday.
Compiled by Times staff writers Lisa Greene, Louis Hau, Jeff Harrington, Dong-Phuong Nguyen and Jean Heller and researcher Cathy Wos.
