Tornadoes, heavy rain, hurricane-force wind, and storm surge. Any of these could devastate a community. Hurricane Milton delivered them all to Florida earlier this month. 

Milton made landfall on October 9 in Siesta Key, south of Sarasota, as a Category 3 hurricane and continued out to the Atlantic as a Category 1 the next morning. The storm dropped nearly two feet of rain in some areas, causing flooding inland and adding more water onto the storm surge that was hitting parts of both coasts. Sustained winds were 120 miles per hour, toppling trees and ripping the roof off of Tropicana Field, where first responders were staging operations and thousands of people were taking shelter. More than 3 million people lost power across the state. The National Weather Service counted 45 reports of tornadoes across the southern half of the state.

According to network outage data submitted by communications providers to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS), as of 9 a.m. (EDT) October 10 over twelve percent of cell sites in areas impacted by Hurricane Milton were out of service, mostly due to a lack of power. The counties impacted most were Sarasota and Polk, where nearly half of all cell sites were down, along with Hardee, Highlands, Manatee, and Pinellas where at least a third of cell sites were down. Cable and wireline companies reported 1,273,354 subscribers out of service in the disaster area, including the loss of telephone, television, and/or internet services.¹ 

On October 11, the FCC took action to assist those affected by Hurricane Milton and future storms by temporarily waiving some Lifeline program eligibility rules to ensure that consumers receiving federal disaster assistance can easily apply for and enroll in the Lifeline program. Because of the exigent circumstances that arose from Hurricane Milton, the FCC found that there is good cause for further action to expeditiously ensure that households receive critical assistance for their communications needs in the aftermath of hurricanes and other tropical weather systems in the near term. The FCC temporarily waived the Lifeline eligibility requirements to permit households not already enrolled in the Lifeline program to enter the program if they are receiving individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Individuals and Households Program (IHP) as a result of the impacts of Hurricane Milton or other hurricanes and tropical weather systems that result in a Presidential declaration of emergency that occur during the next six months. Such waiver will run for at least six months from the date of the declaration. 

The Lifeline program offers qualifying low-income consumers discounts on fixed or mobile voice or broadband Internet access service, as well as on bundled service. Qualifying low-income consumers can receive a $9.25 monthly discount on Lifeline-supported broadband Internet access service or a $5.25 monthly discount on Lifeline-supported voice service. Lifeline consumers residing on qualifying Tribal lands can receive up to a $34.25 monthly discount on Lifeline-supported service.

Florida is Susceptible to Weather Risks

Florida, of course, knows firsthand how extreme weather can have an adverse effect on infrastructure.

Due to its location and unique geographical ecosystems, the state faces unique weather risks and hazards that can cause damage to broadband infrastructure or delay its deployment. Florida has always been more vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical storms than any other U.S. state because its exposed, southern location is surrounded by warm waters. There are almost twice as many hurricanes that hit Florida as Texas, the second most impacted state. But shifting atmosphere and ocean conditions are making hurricane season even worse for Floridians.

There are 12 counties in Florida that are at “very high” risk for hurricanes: Brevard, Broward, Collier, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, and St. Lucie. Hurricanes can affect broadband infrastructure in a variety of ways. Strong winds and rains can impact aerial fiber and poles as they are exposed to the elements. In addition, wireless/satellite distribution or access points can be destroyed by the storms. Underground fiber can also be damaged or disrupted during severe storms. 

There is one county in Florida that is at “very high” risk for strong wind: Polk. Strong winds have the potential to damage aerial infrastructure, as the poles and fiber lines are suspended and exposed to the elements.  

There are two counties in Florida that are at “very high’ risk for tornadoes: Hillsborough and Orange. Tornadoes have the potential to damage aerial infrastructure, as the poles and fiber lines are exposed. There is also a potential that wireless/satellite services could be disrupted due to heavy winds.  

Wind storms, hurricanes, and tornadoes can cause direct damage to all exposed broadband equipment, such as utility poles, cables, ground-mounted equipment, and wireless infrastructure. 

There are 19 counties in Florida that are at “very high” risk for lightning: Bay, Brevard, Broward, Collier, Duval, Escambia, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Okaloosa, Orange, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, and Volusia. Florida is very prone to lightning storms, and these events are most likely to affect above-ground broadband infrastructure, such as poles and aerial fiber cables.  

There is one county in Florida that is at “very high” risk for riverine flooding: Miami-Dade. Flooding can damage fiber deployed underground. While cables are made to resist water under normal operating conditions, extreme flooding can have a negative effect on service.  

Flooding caused by heavy rainstorms, hurricanes, and coastal and riverine flooding poses a great risk to broadband equipment, especially ground-mounted equipment like network hubs and central offices. Utility poles or even buried fiber can be impacted as well due to saturated ground, river wash-outs, or even corrosion due to prolonged exposure. 

Climate Change and Hurricanes

Climate change is a key reason that hurricanes are more destructive—especially in Florida.

Milton was the fifth hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. in 2024. Like Hurricane Helene, Milton gained strength rapidly traveling across the Gulf of Mexico, where water temperatures are abnormally high. Warmer ocean temperatures fuel more powerful storms—and climate change is driving record-high sea surface temperatures. The Atlantic Ocean, where hurricanes that hit the U.S. form, and the Gulf of Mexico just off Florida, have been hotter than average for more than 18 months, driven both by climate change and the recent El Nino weather pattern. Warmer ocean temperatures can lead to heavier rainfall and more severe flooding. Storms like Hurricane Helene suck up huge amounts of moisture as they move towards land, which then falls as rain, and can cause flooding far from the coast. Climate change is also driving sea levels higher, which means more dangerous storm surges.

Broadband, Natural Disasters, and BEAD

As Milton illustrates, natural disasters can severely damage broadband infrastructure, causing network failures that interrupt the continuity of many commercial, governmental, and social activities. The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program requires states and territories to plan for how BEAD-funded networks will withstand climate-related disasters.

The National Telecommunications Infrastructure Administration (NTIA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have partnered to incorporate knowledge about climate-related hazards into local decisions about telecommunications infrastructure. Sound judgment and a good understanding of local conditions will always be of primary importance when siting and building such systems, but it’s a good idea to be aware of trends in temperature, precipitation, and other climate-related factors that might influence communications system performance during its construction and throughout its planned period of service. 

BEAD applicants are encouraged to use a variety of resources to address climate concerns specifically satisfying five requirements:

1. Identify the geographic areas that should be subject to an initial hazard screening for current and future weather- and climate-related risks and the time scales for performing such screenings; 
2. Identify which weather and climate hazards may be most important to account for and respond to in these areas and over the relevant time horizons, utilizing the tools and resources recommended below or other resources available to the Eligible Entity;
3. Characterize any weather and climate risks to new infrastructure deployed using BEAD funds for the 20 years following deployment;
4. Identify how the proposed plan will avoid and/or mitigate the weather and climate risks identified; and
5. Detail plans for periodically repeating this process over the life of the program to ensure that evolving risks are understood, characterized and addressed, and that the most up-to-date tools and information resources are utilized.

The Florida Office of Broadband aims to avoid and mitigate severe weather risks through a variety of strategies. By incorporating resilient designs, developing mitigation and response plans, and encouraging the hardening of assets, the state of Florida aims to strengthen its broadband infrastructure to withstand unpredictable events. The office intends to use the risk assessment provided by the Florida Division of Emergency Management (DEM). 

The Florida Office of Broadband will review and update its resilience and mitigation plans periodically, using resources like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Disaster Risk Mapping tools, the Federal Emergency Management Agency National Risk Index, the Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation Assessment Tool, and state-specific information provided by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). 

The Center on Rural Innovation recommends that state broadband offices analyze the specific contexts of broadband deployment proposals to ensure these deployments mitigate disaster risk. Doing so will allow these offices to better evaluate deployment plans, ask questions of applicants to ensure their networks are going to meet the needs of specific communities during disasters, and prioritize field and compliance checks of funded infrastructure in disaster-prone areas to ensure construction best practices are being followed in the most critical areas. 

To withstand damages and minimize the likelihood of service outages, a resilient broadband system requires:

• Route diversity: The availability of multiple paths without common points
• Redundancy: The provision of duplicate assets to provide backup
• Protective measures: The additional processes and systems used to reduce the likelihood that a system will be affected by natural disaster
• Restorative measures: The additional processes and systems used to reduce the time needed to return a system to full functionality

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Notes

1. By October 14, the number of cell sites out had dropped to 341, just 2.2 percent of the total. Nearly half were down because of power issues. Cable and wireline companies reported 411,360 subscribers out of service in the disaster area.

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

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