- Customers advised to prepare for heavy rain, wind and possible
power outages
- Company moving water through its river system and lowering lake
levels
- The Duke Energy Foundation grants $50,000 to the American Red Cross to support
disaster response and relief efforts
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 26,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy is finalizing its
preparations for Helene in the Carolinas. This includes
strategically staging more than 10,000 lineworkers, tree trimmers
and other storm support personnel. The company is also asking
customers to ready themselves for severe rain and
tropical-storm-force gusts, which could lead to power outages.
"Our workers will be ready to begin assessing damage and
restoring power as soon as the storm passes and conditions are
safe," said Jason Hollifield, Duke
Energy's storm director in the Carolinas. "In the meantime, we
continue to monitor weather conditions and encourage customers to
have a plan in place in case they experience an outage."
Safety information
Customers can visit
duke-energy.com/StormTips for tools and resources they can use to
stay safe before, during and after a storm. The website also has
information on how Duke Energy restores power, generator safety,
flooding and electrical safety and more.
In addition, Duke Energy recommends customers review these
preparedness tips:
- Create or update an emergency supply kit that includes
everything an individual or family would need – especially
medicines, water, nonperishable foods and other supplies that might
be hard to find after a storm hits.
- Keep a portable radio or TV or a NOAA weather radio on hand to
monitor weather forecasts and vital information from state and
local officials.
- Charge cellphones, computers and other electronic devices in
advance of storms to stay connected to important safety and
response information. Consider purchasing and charging portable
battery chargers.
- Maintain a plan to move family members – especially those with
special needs – to safe, alternative locations in case extended
power outages occur or evacuation is required.
- Pet owners should arrange to stay at evacuation shelters that
accept pets, friends' or family members' homes or pet-friendly
hotels.
- Everyone should always stay away from power lines that have
fallen or are sagging – and consider all lines energized, as well
as trees, limbs, fences or anything in contact with lines. Downed
lines are hard to see in the rain and standing water. Anyone who
encounters large pools of standing water should stop, back up and
choose another path.
Reporting a power outage
Duke Energy advises customers
to enroll in Outage Alerts to get information about area outages
and restoration efforts via text message, voice message or email.
In addition, customers can report power outages via the Duke Energy
app or website, by texting OUT to 57801 or by calling 800.POWERON
(800.769.3766).
High-water reminders
The company is actively moving
water through its river system and lowering lake levels in the
Carolinas ahead of the anticipated heavy rainfall. Flooding,
however, is still possible due to unpredictable rainfall
amounts.
Duke Energy encourages individuals who live along lakes and
rivers and in flood-prone areas to pay close attention to local
media and weather forecasts for changes in weather conditions and
rising water levels. In addition, local emergency management
officials – working in close coordination with Duke Energy – may
issue notifications to those who may be directly impacted by
high-water conditions.
Real-time lake level information is available at
duke-energy.com/lakes, by calling 800.829.LAKE (5253) and via the
Duke Energy Lake View mobile app, which is available from the
App Store and Google Play.
Red Cross Emergency app, donation for disaster response and
relief
The Duke Energy Foundation announced a $50,000 donation to the American Red Cross to
support disaster response and relief efforts in advance of the
storm.
This is in addition to the Foundation's previous $100,000 grant to upgrade the organization's
Emergency app. The free weather safety app is 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.
Over the past five years, Duke Energy and its Foundation have
donated more than $2.8 million to the
American Red Cross in support of disaster relief and $19.5 million in emergency preparedness and
response efforts across the Southeast and Midwest. This includes
$6.2 million in North Carolina and $3.3
million in South
Carolina.
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 X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for
stories about the people and innovations powering our energy
transition.
Contact:
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
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SOURCE Duke Energy