‘It takes a toll’: US low-income and communities of color endure longer power outages

Experts say utility companies should prioritize vulnerable communities in post-storm recovery efforts

In the days leading up to Hurricane Ian in 2022, Jeffrey Perdomo and his parents resisted increasingly stern calls from officials to evacuate their mobile home in Kissimmee, Florida.

We don't have much and we wanted to stay on top of our things," said the 25-year-old, who works as a restaurant host at Disney's Animal Kingdom, just outside Orlando. The family's trailer was old and uninsured; Perdomo wanted to be around to address any damage as soon as it happened. If it ended up flooding, we would have very little recourse. We would become effectively homeless."