PAHOKEE, Fla. — Residents at a 60-unit apartment complex on Rardin Avenue in Pahokee went without electricity for nearly 24 hours.
Florida Power & Light (FPL) disconnected the power after discovering broken power meters, prompting safety concerns, but were able to get the lights back on Thursday afternoon.
WATCH: Residents tell WPTV how they managed without power
At the time several residents, including Keith Arnold, expressed frustration over the situation. Arnold, using a flashlight to navigate his apartment, estimated losses of over $200 in spoiled groceries due to the outage.
“It’s a hurting feeling. My kids can have an asthma attack any day,” said Cheryl Davis, a mother of three who is particularly stressed due to the reliance of her children on ventilators that require electricity.
Davis mentioned she had to send her children to another city to escape the conditions.
The landlord, Harry Segal, stated that some tenants vandalized the power meters in an effort to avoid paying for electricity, leading to the shutdown of power to the entire complex. He assured, impacted residents will be reimbursed for their losses.
WATCH: Residents without power for hours after safety concerns
But tenants like Jerkayla Fitzgerald expressed concern about ongoing issues at the complex, including pest problems.
"It's hell. I mean, bugs keep coming in from drains," Fitzgerald said.
Residents also voiced frustration about delayed maintenance, with Arnold noting a leaking hot water issue that has persisted for months.
“I’m handicapped. You know, that’s not right, being this way to me or anybody else,” he added.
During a phone conversation with the landlord, he indicated he is hiring a maintenance crew to help resolve the ongoing issues residents are facing and plans to up security.
As frustration grows among the tenants, they hope for a swift resolution to all of their issues and return to normal living conditions.
