U.S. officials say about 5-6 million customers without power after Irma

A downed power pole is secured by a Boca Raton police cruiser on the oceanfront A1A state road after the passing of Hurricane Irma in Boca Raton, Florida, U.S., September 11, 2017. REUTERS/Joe Skipper

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Five million to 6 million power customers lack electricity after Hurricane Irma swept through the Florida and other parts of the U.S. southeast, leaving about 15 million people without power, federal emergency officials said on Tuesday. "Obviously, power restoration is one of the biggest goals," Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Brock Long told reporters at a news conference. He added that he was traveling to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to meet with their governors later on Tuesday. (Reporting by Susan Heavey and Doina Chiacu)