Utilities continue working to restore power to pockets of customers in North Florida as a new week begins following Hurricane Helene, with some school districts starting classes and everyone reporting damage.  

Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) reports around 2,600 customers still lack power, with 62,000 accounts restored since the storm. Clay Electric Cooperative has 6,4000 accounts without power in Alachua County, and Duke Energy reports 686 customers without power.  

GRU General Manager Ed Bielarski said crews have worked overnight and with aid from other utilities to restore service. He said some pockets could remain without power for a couple more days. 

“It’s the equivalent of ground combat, battling on a community by community, house by house basis,” Bielarski said on Facebook. “It’s harder for us and for the customers. I can assure you that we will remain in emergency management mode until such time as our customers are all restored.” 

Around 120,000 Florida customers remain without power as of midday Monday. 

North Central Florida customers without power 

• Columbia County: 12,666   

• Suwannee County: 9,771   

• Alachua County: 9,840   

• Dixie County: 4,865   

• Levy County: 4,122   

• Gilchrist County: 3,762   

• Union County: 481   

• Bradford County: 14   

Alachua County Public Schools returned to its normal schedule on Monday, with classes for all schools. UF and Santa Fe College are also in session.  

Levy County also opened its schools except for Cedar Key. Dixie, Columbia and Gilchrist counties decided to remain closed on Monday, with Suwannee County planning to return to classes on Wednesday.  

Alachua County and cities are pivoting to damage assessments and curbside debris pickup.  

Gainesville and Alachua County crews have waived size restrictions on debris pickup but ask that residents try to keep limbs less than five feet long. The city of Newberry announced that its debris pickup will start on Tuesday—also waiving debris restrictions.  

All governments have said it will take time to reach all neighborhoods because of the amount of debris.  

Jen Grice, Alachua County’s emergency management director, encouraged residents to report damage in a Monday morning update. Residents can report the damage at AlachuaCountyReady.com. These damage assessments will be used by the state and federal government to provide assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 

Gilchrist County Emergency Management asks residents to report any storm damage by emailing EOCGilchrist@gmail.com and include your name, address and photos of the damage. All county solid waste and recycling sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, and the sites will resume normal hours on Wednesday.     

In Suwannee County, points of distribution (PODs) and comfort station locations reopened at 8 a.m. on Monday to distribute food, water, ice and tarps. The comfort stations will remain open 24/7 and will provide showers, bathrooms and self-service laundry facilities, along with law enforcement officers to provide site security.     

Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday night as a Category 4 storm and cut a path of destruction across the southeastern United States, including massive flooding in parts of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina.  

The death toll is 94, but that number is expected to rise further as search and rescue operations are ongoing. The Tampa Bay Times reported 11 deaths in the bay area, and Gov. Ron DeSantis said a falling tree killed a person in Dixie County.  

Officials in Alachua County have reported only one injury.