- 3,000 workers are responding to power outages as weather
conditions allow; nearly 171,000 restored so far
ST.
PETERSBURG, Fla., Aug. 5, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- As of noon, Duke Energy had more than 97,800
customers without power in Florida. So far, nearly 171,000 customers have
been restored.
Duke Energy crews continue to restore power as quickly and
safely as possible and as weather conditions allow. Crews have
worked through the night and the company anticipates restoring 95%
of Pinellas and Pasco counties customers by 11:59 p.m. Monday evening, as those areas first
experienced the impacts of the storm. Many customers will be
restored earlier. However, adverse weather conditions continue to
impact the area. Additionally, customers who experienced extensive
damage or flooding may require additional time for restoration.
Duke Energy continues to assess other counties and will communicate
updates with customers through outage alerts and the outage
map.
"While areas of the state continue to experience the impacts of
Hurricane Debby, Duke Energy remains committed to restoring power
as quickly as it is safe to do so," said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm
director. "We thank our customers for their patience, our first
responders for their hard work and our neighboring utilities for
their continued support in the hours and days ahead."
Restoring power after a storm can be extremely challenging, as
travel and work conditions may be impacted by high winds and
widespread flooding. Duke Energy customers should be prepared for
extensive damage and extended power outages. Outages can be
reported online, through the mobile app, by texting OUT to 57801 or
by calling 800.228.8485.
For safety purposes, Duke Energy line technicians cannot perform
elevated work in bucket trucks when winds are excessive. However,
as the storm passes and wind speeds drop below 40 miles per hour,
crews will quickly begin damage assessment and repairs, allowing
them to determine estimated power restoration times. The company
also will provide regular updates to customers and communities
through emails, text messages, phone calls, social media and its
website.
Customers are advised to continue taking precautions:
- Stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging.
Consider all lines energized, as well as trees, limbs, fences or
anything in contact with lines.
- Downed lines will be hard to see in the rain and can
potentially be hidden in standing water. If you encounter large
pools of standing water, stop, back up and choose another
path.
- A generator can be very useful during a power outage but
remember to always follow the manufacturer's instructions to ensure
safe and proper operation.
- Please watch for utility crews and turn the generator off when
crews are in your area. The electrical load on the power lines can
be hazardous for crews making repairs.
- If your home or business is flooded, Duke Energy cannot
reconnect power until the electrical system has been inspected by a
licensed electrician. If there is damage, an electrician will need
to make repairs and obtain verification from your local building
inspection authority before power can be restored.
Customers can receive the most up-to-date information about
restoration efforts by:
- Signing up online for phone and email alerts or text REG
to 57801 for text alerts
- Bookmarking our outage map
- Downloading the mobile app for updates
Additionally, customers are encouraged to download the enhanced
American Red
Cross Emergency app for weather safety. The latest
version of the app, sponsored by the Duke Energy Foundation, is
free, available in both English and Spanish and offers a variety of
features including emergency checklists, interactive maps of open
shelters and the ability to monitor multiple locations for weather
alerts.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,300
megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million
residential, commercial and industrial customers across a
13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in
Charlotte, N.C., is one of
America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric
utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio
and Kentucky, and collectively own
54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities
serve 1.7 million customers in North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition,
keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the
forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions
from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions
from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in
major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including
expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear.
More information is available at duke-energy.com and
the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy
on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and
visit illumination for stories about the people and
innovations powering our energy transition.
Contact: Audrey Stasko
Media line: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_AudreyS
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SOURCE Duke Energy