Wilma's Wrath: Comcast Hoping for the Best

From a cable viewpoint, the initial aftermath from Hurricane Wilma sounded similar to early reports of bigger hurricanes Katrina and Rita: debris, dangerous road conditions and fallen trees, kept MSOs from figuring out how much damage was done in the Keys. "It looks pretty grim," Comcast exec Filemon Lopez said. "It’s a pretty treacherous situation." Lopez said he wouldn’t be able to get a full accounting of Wilma’s damage for weeks. Using the unfortunate playbook developed from Katrina and Rita, Comcast HR is trying to contact the 1,700 Comcast employees who work in the Keys via cell phones and landlines (some landlines are working, we’re told). Better news came from Comcast’s Gulf Coast systems, which include Sarasota, Naples, Fort Myers and Puntagorda. All employees were accounted for, and only a few leaks were detected in Comcast facilities. Cable would be fully restored when FL power and light restores the electricity in the area, Comcast Gulf Coast’s regional vp Steve Dvoskin, said. In fact, employees in Sarasota and Charlotte County were back answering calls yesterday. Comcast employees will be back working at the call centers in Naples and Fort Meyers today, after they were temporarily closed and calls were re-routed.