Powering Up for Hurricane Season TAMPA (WUSF) - Approximately 6 million South Florida residents lost electricity after Hurricane Wilma last October. And for some the power was off for weeks.

That prompted the state to tighten some regulations. Power poles were inspected every 10 years. That cycle is now every eight years.

Spokeswoman Cherie Jacobs says Progress Energy has about a million power poles in its Florida territory which was hardest hit in 2004.

JACOBS: We lost a number of power poles that year with four storms hitting our territory. However, it was less than 1% of our power poles.

Tampa Electric's service area also was hit hard in 2004. But TECO spokeswoman Laura Duda says there were some positive outcomes.

DUDA: Customers saw the benefits in tree trimming.

She says TECO has increased its tree trimming budget to $11-million. © Copyright 2012, WUSF