Friday, September 27 @ 6:00 p.m.
To further aid connectivity for residents and emergency personal in areas affected by Helene, Comcast has opened additional WiFi Hotspots in the greater Jacksonville area and in Southeast Georgia. In total, there are now over 105,000 open hotspots in Florida and Southeast Georgia which are free and available for everyone to use, including non-Xfinity customers. To learn how to get connected to one of the open hotspots, please see Wednesday’s update below or visit this page.
Friday, September 27 @ 11:00 a.m.
We hope you and your loved ones are safe. Hurricane Helene made landfall last night as a Category 4 storm, the strongest hurricane to ever strike Florida’s Big Bend. The impact from Helene is state-wide from direct storm damage to flash flooding and storm surges.
Open Xfinity WiFi Hotspots
To help with connectivity when it matters most, Comcast has opened all public Xfinity WiFi Hotspots in the Florida Panhandle and along the Gulf Coast. To learn how to get connected to one of the 52,000+ open hotspots, please see Wednesday’s update below or visit this page.
How to Report a Downed Line
Our teams were out early this morning to assess potential extreme wind and rain damage to our facilities and locate any broken poles and downed lines.
We urge our customers to please stay away from any downed lines. Any downed lines are considered live and dangerous until assessed by local authorities. To report a downed line, you can chat with an Xfinity Assistant through the Xfinity App or the Xfinity website.
Xfinity Store Locations
For the safety of our employees and customers, the following Xfinity store locations will be closed today:
- Port Charlotte – 1940 Tamiami Trail, Suite 101, Port Charlotte, FL 33948
- Brunswick – 217 Village at Glynn Place; Brunswick, GA 31525
The following Xfinity stores will have adjusted hours:
- Dothan – 557 South Oates Street; Dothan, AL 36301 – 12 p.m. delayed opening
- Tallahassee – 214-1 South Magnolia Drive; Tallahassee, FL 32301 – 12 p.m. delayed opening
- Bay City Point in Panama City 500 Hawkins Ave; Panama City, FL 32405 – 12 p.m. delayed opening
- Bradenton – 5231 University Parkway, Suite 115; Bradenton, FL 34201 – 2 p.m. delayed opening
- Venice – 1617 U.S. Hwy 41 By-Pass S; Venice, FL 34293 – 12 p.m. delayed opening
- Sarasota Pavilion – 6511 S Tamiami Trail; Sarasota, FL 34231 – 12 p.m. delayed opening
Restoring services after severe weather can be challenging. Our emergency response crews must wait until power is restored, flooding has subsided, and areas declared safe by local officials to begin repairs. We appreciate your patience as our crews safely and quickly work to return services to your homes and businesses.
Thursday, September 26 @ 2:00 p.m.
Hurricane Helene continues to move quickly and is expected to increase in intensity until it makes landfall this evening. Helene is predicted to make landfall in the Big Bend of Florida between 8PM – 11PM tonight as a Category 3 or Category 4 hurricane. Storm surge warnings are in place for much of Florida’s west coast and surging waters could reach as high as 20 feet in some areas.
How to Receive Comcast Text Alerts and Stay Informed
In advance of the storm, here is information on how to receive text message alerts regarding you Xfinity or Comcast Business service:
For Xfinity customers, first – make sure you’ve registered your mobile number in your account or check to see if you’ve opted-out of previous text alerts. Click here to learn more.
Once registered, you can use the following storm-related text commands anytime to instantly get information. Text any of the following commands to 266278 (COMCST).
- APP: Get links to download Xfinity apps.
- HELP: Get additional service information.
- OUT: Check for service outages.
- START: Resubscribe to Xfinity service text alerts.
- STOP: Unsubscribe from Xfinity text alerts.
Comcast Business customers can also receive text alerts by registering their mobile numbers in the preference center within the My Account section.
Additionally, you can follow Comcast on Facebook and Comcast Florida on X for local storm updates.
Comcast Prepares
Our emergency response teams have been preparing for Helene’s arrival. Our crews and supplies are ready to be safely deployed to any impacted areas. We have prepped more than 1,100 generators, which have been placed across the region to supply temporary power in anticipation of commercial electricity outages during recovery efforts.
Safety is our #1 priority for our customers, our employees and our communities. We urge everyone to be prepared and stay weather-aware of their surroundings. Please stay safe and know that our technicians, construction and maintenance crews are ready to respond when safe to do so.
Wednesday, September 25 @ 5:15 p.m.
To help residents and emergency personnel stay connected ahead of Helene, Comcast has opened 52,296 public Xfinity WiFi hotspots in areas it serves across Florida in Hurricane Helene’s potential path. The free and public hotspots are open for anyone to use, including non-Xfinity customers.
The Xfinity WiFi hotspot network is now open for all in the following counties:
| Bay | Lee |
| Charlotte | Leon |
| Citrus | Levy |
| Franklin | Madison |
| Gadsden | Manatee |
| Hamilton | Sarasota |
| Hillsborough | Suwannee |
| Jackson | Taylor |
| Jefferson | Wakulla |
| Lafayette | Walton |
| Washington | |
How to Get Connected
For a map of public Xfinity WiFi hotspots, which are located both indoors and outdoors in places such as shopping districts, parks, and businesses, visit Finder.wifi.xfinity.com.
To find the nearest hotspot location in your city, please search the WiFi Hotspot Map. Enter your zip code, zoom in on the interactive map to view the results, and click on the locations for details.
“Connectivity is critical, especially during a natural disaster. We know now is the time people want to stay in touch with family, friends and loved ones,” said Jeff Buzzelli, Senior Vice President for Comcast’s Florida Region. “We hope by opening tens of thousands of WiFi hotspots it will be easier for Floridians to stay connected in those impacted areas. This is a small way we can make a difference and support the communities we’re proud to serve.”
For assistance, customers can chat online with an agent, visit Xfinity.com/response or connect with Comcast on Twitter at @xfinitysupport.
Wednesday, September 25 @ 3:00 p.m.
Please stay safe, Florida. For the safety of our employees and customers, the following Xfinity store locations will be closed or have truncated hours of operation.
Store Closures
The following Xfinity store locations will be closed on Thursday, September 26:
- Bay City Point – Panama City, FL
- Bradenton, FL
- Dothan, AL
- Leesburg, FL
- Lady Lake, FL
- Port Charlotte, FL
- Sarasota Pavilion – Sarasota, FL
- Tallahassee, FL
- Venice, FL
The following Xfinity store locations will not open until 2 p.m. on Thursday, September 26:
- Cape Coral, FL
- Estero, FL
- Fort Myers, FL
- Naples North (10600 Tamiami Trail N #604), FL
- Naples South (12707 Tamiami Trail E), FL
To find additional stores near your area, please visit xfinity.com/local or use your Xfinity app for assistance.
Tuesday, September 24 @ 12:00 p.m.
We are monitoring Hurricane Helene and its potential impact on Florida and neighboring states. The National Hurricane Center declares that due to the large size of Helene, there is a danger of life-threatening storm surge along the entire west coast of the Florida Peninsula and the Florida Big Bend. Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin in these areas on Thursday, including devastating hurricane-force winds where the core of Helene moves inland. Hurricane and tropical storm warnings are in effect for much of that area. We urge anyone in Helene’s path to heed warnings by local officials.
Comcast is preparing crews across the state to respond in the event of service interruptions to our network. We encourage you and your family to stay weather-aware and follow your local news and local authorities for updates. Our response teams are actively analyzing weather reports, putting our emergency plans in place and ensuring our crews and supplies are ready to be safely deployed. The safety of our customers and our employees remains our top priority, and we’re here to keep you connected.
Stay Informed
In advance of the storm, here are some tips on staying up to date on your Xfinity or Comcast Business service:
- Text Alerts: Xfinity customers can receive text alerts about service interruptions by texting START to 266278 (COMCST). Comcast Business customers can also receive text alerts by registering their mobile numbers in the preference center within the My Account section.
- Xfinity & Comcast Business Apps: Xfinity and Comcast Business customers can get the latest status information by using their respective apps – Xfinity app and Comcast Business App.
- Social Media: Follow Comcast on Facebook and Comcast Florida on X for local storm updates.
For additional steps you can take to prepare for any emergency, please visit this page.
We will update this webpage with additional information as it becomes available.
